coach development , problems accessing participants , and problems negotiating the difficult terrain of other adults ’ influence ( i . e . parents , other coaches ). This highlights the potential benefits of helping coaches deal with their more day-to-day problems before entering more sophisticated coach development areas .
How might coaches successfully address these issues ?
To begin to understand how to address coaching issues and problems , it is useful to briefly explore how coaches understand their issues . That is , if and how coaches think about and reflect on coaching issues to develop a course of action , and how coaches attribute the origin of their problems to themselves or to others .
This consideration is raised because there is a strong sense from the wider human sciences literature that individuals and groups are subject to considerable weaknesses in their reasoning , strategies , and action ( e . g . Foucault , 1995 ; Pinker , 2021 ). For example , from a psychological perspective , there are reportedly close to 200 unhelpful cognitive biases ( Benson , 2017 ). One theme is : a preference to rely on habituated / automatic routines rather than think through and out of the typical issues experienced . Sociology also tends to paint a rather sobering picture of individuals who are subject to social forces and practices ; the ( potential ) consequences of which they are rarely aware of , nor challenge , but perpetuate unknowingly through their activities .
Research has identified cognitive weaknesses and the potentially limiting effects of social forces in sport coaching ( e . g . Denison , 2007 ; Grecic & Collins , 2013 ). For example , a common image , drawn on by both psychologists and sociologists ( and not without foundation ), is of coaches settling on skill / drill based practices , with lots of instructional behaviours ( e . g . Williams & Hodges , 2005 ), or , when the problem is recognised , just ‘ playing ’ at more ‘ contemporary ’ alternative approaches ( e . g . use of questioning with athletes ) without a comprehensive understanding ( Cushion , 2013 ). This might be based on cognitive orientations towards habit / not thinking , but also strong historical traditions in sport .
Beginning to explore difference and nuance amongst coaches
The problem with the above descriptions is that they underplay coaching difference – the idea that not all coaches are the same and so there is a need to explore the nuances . I will now provide some examples using two research studies .
First , research on the coaches ’ voice highlighted how coaches were addressing their issues and problems in very sensible ways ( North et al ., 2020 ). The coaches move beyond the boundaries of psychological and sociological analysis to something much more pragmatic . For example , problems with facilities were addressed in imaginative ways . Challenges with parents were addressed by engaging in dialogue , and mutually setting out and agreeing expectations . There were
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