Exploring Formalized Elite Coach Mentoring Programmes in the UK: 'We've Had to Play the Game'

Formalized mentoring programmes have been implemented increasingly by UK sporting institutions as a central coach development tool, yet claims supporting formal mentoring as an effective learning strategy are often speculative, scarce, ill-defined and accepted without verification. The aim of this s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sport, education and society education and society, 2018-07, Vol.23 (6), p.619-631
Main Authors: Sawiuk, Rebecca, Taylor, William G, Groom, Ryan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Athletics
Bourdieu, Pierre (1930-2002)
Coaches & managers
Coaching (Performance)
Foreign Countries
Interviews
Learning Strategies
Mentoring
Mentors
Pedagogy
Physical education
Qualitative Research
Semi Structured Interviews
Social Control
Sports
Verification
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Summary:Formalized mentoring programmes have been implemented increasingly by UK sporting institutions as a central coach development tool, yet claims supporting formal mentoring as an effective learning strategy are often speculative, scarce, ill-defined and accepted without verification. The aim of this study, therefore, was to explore some of the realities of formalized elite sports coaching mentoring programmes. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 15 mentors of elite coaches on formal programmes, across a range of sports. The findings were read through a Bourdieusian lens and revealed the importance of understanding the complexities of elite sports coaching environments, that elite sports coach development is highly specific and, therefore, should not be over-formalized, and how current elite sport coach mentoring programmes may be better conceptualized as a form of social control rather than being driven by pedagogical concerns. Following this empirically based analysis of practice, a number of implications for Governing Bodies, mentors and mentees were considered.
ISSN:1357-3322
1470-1243
DOI:10.1080/13573322.2016.1248386