Coaching and Pedagogy Research Group: Engagement and Impact

Care in Sport Coaching: Pedagogical Cases

Edited by Dr Colum Cronin and Prof Kathleen Armour. While it is accepted that sport coaches should safeguard participants, Care in Sport Coaching: Pedagogical Cases argues that coaches have a duty of care that moves beyond protection and involves the development of caring relationships with athletes. Recent high-profile incidents of abuse in sport highlight the need to reposition coaching as a caring activity and to embed care within coach education and coaching policy.

Based around extended case studies, this book provides grounded accounts of how coaches care in their everyday practice. These case studies are analysed using multidisciplinary theoretical perspectives to illustrate and problematise how coaches care. Conclusions are provided, based on these analyses, that will help coach educators, researchers and policymakers establish care as a key facet of everyday sport coaching activities. Additionally, the book offers guidelines that will aid practitioners to enact care in their practice.

This is important reading for coaches, researchers, lecturers and students who are concerned with the role of coaches and the development of coaching practice.

Myths of Sport coaching

Dr Amy Whitehead and co-editor Jenny Coe recently edited the new text Myths of Sport Coaching, which aims to challenge common misconceptions within coaching and offer new perspectives within coaching practice. Amongst the chapter authors are our current group members and LJMU staff, Dr Colum Cronin, Dr Jonathon Foulkes and Dr Liz Mahon.

Amy and Jen are running a monthly seminar series throughout 2022-23 which involves a different chapter author each month presenting their chapter and answer audience questions.

See our May Webinar with Dr Colum Cronin: Myths about Caring in Coaching - YouTube

• Pitch Sizes in Football (Dr Sigrid Olthof)
• Paralympic Special (Dr Tabo Huntley)
• Think Aloud podcast (Dr Amy Whitehead)

Dr Amy Whitehead discussed the Think Aloud method with Dan Abrahams, specifically how it works in practice; how it can help coaches and athletes analyse their performances; self-reflection and flow.

• Myths of Sort Coaching podcast (Dr Amy Whitehead and Jenny Coe)

Dr Amy Whitehead and Jenny Coe join Dan Abrahams on his Sport Psych Podcast where they discuss some of the key chapters in the Myths of Sport Coaching book. They discuss the idea behind the book, why these myths might exist, and considerations for coaches.

• Care in Sport Coaching (Dr Colum Cronin)

Sensible Soccer with Mike Phelan and Dave Horocks
(Dr Nic Robinson and Dr Amy Whitehead)

Dr Nic Robinson and Dr Amy Whitehead joined former Manchester United coach Mike Phelan and his business partner Dave Horrocks. Mike and Dave now own the company Sensible Soccer and are creating a series of educational resources for grassroots coaches. The group discussed Amy’s Myths of Sport Coaching book and the considerations for grassroots coaches.

• Marias Coaching Corner (Dr Tabo Huntley and Amy Hardwick)

As part of the Erasmus funder ParaCoach Project, Paralympic athlete Maria Lyle hosted a webinar series, consisting of conversations with coaches, athletes & academics all about sport, coaching and their individual journeys and experiences.

• Myths of Sport Coaching Webinar Series (Dr Amy Whitehead)
• Teaching Games for Understanding 40th Anniversary – Systematic Review on Sport Coaches’ and Teachers’ perceptions of games-based and constraints-led pedagogy (Sam Richardson)

The following video presentation was presented at the TGfU 40th Anniversary Conference 2023. The presentation provides a summary of a study entitled: Systematic review of sport coaches’ and teachers’ perceptions and application of game-based and constraints-led pedagogy: A qualitative meta-study.

This event took place in the summer (2023) with many stakeholders from across Merseyside engaging in what was a jam-packed schedule including:

• dissemination of the research activity and projects within the LJMU PESSPA network
• practical workshop activities that showcased innovative examples of work in PE, School Sport, and Physical Activity
• opportunity for membership discussion and networking

If there are any queries or you are interested in future events, please email PESSPANetwork@ljmu.ac.uk.

Members of the Coaching and Pedagogy Research Group worked with Cluster for Research into Coaching (CRiC), to host a one-day symposium, here at LJMU.

In October 2022, The Coaching and Pedagogy Research Group (CaPRG), met with former LJMU PhD student Dr Niels Feddersen and colleagues, Dr Stig Arve Sæther (Associate Professor and Research Group lead), Dr Nils Petter Aspvik (Associate Professor), Dr Ingar Mehus (Associate Professor), and Dr Rune Høigaard (Professor at University of Agder and visiting Professor) from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology for a research visit.

To start the session, colleagues from both LJMU and NTNU shared their research backgrounds and interests. The group then discussed research currently being conducted by members of the CaPRG. Dr Amy Whitehead, (CaPRG lead), delivered a presentation titled “Case Study: Ultra Tour Monte Rosa, Investigating the interactions of diet and mental coping strategies in an ultra-runner using Think Aloud”. Following this presentation, the group explored research ideas and potential future collaborations between colleagues from Norway and members of the Coaching and Pedagogy Research Group.

As well as potential collaborations with NTNU colleagues, discussions also sparked a number of potential research projects ideas within the research group.

Thank you to Niels, Stig, Nils, Ingar and Rune for visiting and engaging with the Coaching and Pedagogy Research Group.

^{Members of the Coaching and Pedagogy Research Group with colleagues from Norwegian University of Science and Technology}