Annotated Index of Articles Provided
Carter, A. D., & Bloom, G. A. (2009). Coaching knowledge and success: Going beyond
athletic experiences. Journal of Sport Behavior, 32(4), 419-437.
(This article explored the development and acquisition of coaching knowledge of 6 Canadian University coaches who
have surpassed their personal athletic achievements. The article explains how these coaches acquired their coaching
knowledge and provides more complete picture of the development and acquisition of coaching knowledge for aspiring
coaches.)
Cassidy, T., Potrac, P., & McKenzie, A. (2006). Evaluating and reflecting upon a coach
education initiative: The CoDe of rugby. The Sport Psychologist, 20(2), 145-161.
(The first purpose of this article is to report on coachesʼ perceptions of a theory-based coach education program
(known as the CoDe program). The second purpose is to discuss how we, as coach educators, reflected on the initiation
of the CoDe program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight rugby union coaches. Three themes
emerged from the interviews: (a) thinking about athletes as learners, (b) focusing on the process of coaching, and (c)
the value of talking with other coaches.)
Cushion, C. J., Armour, K. M., & Jones, R. L. (2003). Coach education and continuing
professional development: Experience and learning to coach. Quest, 55, 215230.
(This article attempts to understand how the “art of coaching” can be characterized as structured improvisation and how
experience is crucial to structuring coaching practice. An examination of current coach education and assessment
demonstrates that coaching practice viewed as a composite of knowledge has not specifically addressed the pervasive
influence of experience on coaching practice. The authors examine how coach education and continuing professional
development can utilize mentoring and critical reflection to situate learning in the practical experience of coaching.)
Demers, G., Woodburn, A. J., & Savard, C. (2006). The development of an
undergraduate competency-based coach education program. The Sport Psychologist,
20(2), 162-173.
(This article discusses the development of a university undergraduate competency-based coach education program in
Canada. It addresses program development in three phases: (a) design (b) implementation, and (c) evaluation. It
discusses how decisions made regarding the program relate to current research on coaching, coach education, and sport
psychology. This article offers an example of how competency-based training for coach education can be implemented
within a university setting in a way that addresses some of the primary concerns in the literature on coach education.)
Duffy, P., Hartley, H., Bales, J., Crespo, M., Dick, F., Vardhan, D., et al. (2011). Sport
coaching as a ‘profession’: challenges and future directions. Journal of Coaching
Science, 5(2), 93-124.
(The strategy of the International Council for Coach Education (ICCE) has placed the development of sport coaching as
a profession at the core of the mission of the organisation. The authors examine the basis for this aspiration against
criteria associated with established professions. It is concluded that, at a global level, sport coaching does not meet a
number of the traditional hallmarks of a profession. It is suggested that sport coaching should define its future identity
as a blended professional area, operating within the wider field of sport and physical activity. A series of actions is
proposed to advance the international agenda, as part of an on-going process of professionalization.)
Kilty, K. (2006). Women in coaching. The Sport Psychologist, 20(2), 222-234.
(The purpose of this article is to review the challenges that women coaches must overcome and to discuss coach
education strategies for facilitating the development of women coaches. Coach education strategies are addressed in
three main areas: (a) the continuation of women and sport programs, (b) restructuring the work environment to
recognize and value relational work skills, and (c) relational mentoring models to navigate career and life transitions
and advocate for change.)
Mallett, C., & Coté, J. (2006). Beyond winning and losing: Guidelines for evaluationg
high performance coaches. The Sport Psychologist, 20(2), 213-221.
(This article proposes a three-step method of evaluating high performance coaches involving feedback from the
athletes. This three-step appraisal method provides useful evaluative feedback to coaches and has been used in several
sport programs in Canada, the United States, and Australia.)
Nash, C. S., & Sproule, J. (2009). Career development of expert coaches. International
Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 4(1), 121-138.
(This study, using an interview approach, examined the transition of expert coaches (n = 9) through various stages in
their careers. The main aim of this study was to ascertain if expert coaches could explain the process of their
development to perceived expert status. The interviewed coaches could offer no real insight into their designation as
experts. Their methods of development were considered to be informal, with networking with other coaches believed
to be essential to their progress. The ability to contextualise knowledge and information to suit both the individual
and situation, as well as appropriate mentors at the initial stages of their coaching careers were also regarded as
vital.)
Nelson, L. J., & Cushion, C. J. (2006). Reflection in coach education: the case of
National Governing Body Coaching Certificate. The Sport Psychologist, 20(2), 174183.
(The case being studied was a United Kingdom (UK) National Governing Body (NGB) in the process of developing a
coach education program. The purpose of this study was to empirically explore the use of reflection as a conceptual
underpinning to connect and understand coach education, theory, and practice. Findings suggest that the curriculum
could promote reflective practice, albeit in a largely decontextualized learning environment.)
Olusoga, P., & Butt, J. (2009). Stress in elite sports coaching: Identifying stressors.
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 21, 442-459.
(The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth account of the stressors encountered by elite coaches in the
United Kingdom. Six male and six female coaches with international experience were interviewed. Coaches
experienced a wide range of stressors (e.g., conflict, pressure and expectation, athlete concerns, competition
preparation, isolation). Conflict within the organization emerged as a key theme, indicating that communication
skills might be important in helping coaches function effectively as part of a wider organizational team. Findings
also highlight the importance of psychological skills training for coaches to help them cope with the diverse
demands of world class coaching.)
Reade, I., Rodgers, W., & Hall, N. (2008). Knowledge transfer: How do high
performance coaches access the knowledge of sport scientists? International
Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 3(3), 319-334
(The purpose of this research was to answer three specific questions: i) How do coaches perceive sport science
research? ii) What sources do coaches consult when looking for new ideas? and iii) What barriers do coaches encounter
when trying to access new information? All of the high performance coaches involved in Canadian Interuniversity
Sport (CIS) were contacted to complete an on-line survey related to these questions. CIS coaches believe that sport
science makes an important contribution to high-performance sport. Gaps exist between what coaches are looking for
and the research that is being conducted, especially in the area of tactics and strategies. Coaches are most likely to
consult other coaches, or attend coaching conferences to get new information. Sport scientists and their publications
were ranked very low by the coaches as a likely source of sport science information. The barriers to the coaches’ access
to sport science are the time required to find and read scientific journals, and lack of direct access to a sport scientist.)
Robbins, J. E., Houston, E., & Dummer, G. M. (2010). Philosophies and expectations of
wheelchair and stand-up collegiate basketball coaches. Journal of Sport
Behavior, 33(1), 42-62.
(The purposes of the study were to identify how coaches for wheelchair basketball viewed their athletes
and uncover the general philosophies and expectations of wheelchair and stand-up basketball coaches. Six
wheelchair and eight stand-up collegiate basketball coaches were interviewed. Results revealed five major
themes focused on: (a) expectations; (b) perspectives on coaching; (c) philosophies of success; (d)
individual differences; and (e) thoughts about athletes. Results demonstrated that coaching differences and
similarities may be more dependent on the coach than the athletes being coached.)
Vallée, C. N., & Bloom, G. A. (2005). Building a successful university program: Key
and common elements of expert coaches. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology,
17, 179-196.
(The purpose of the present study was to determine how expert university coaches of team sports built their
successful programs. Five expert Canadian female university coaches were interviewed individually. The results
of the analysis revealed four elements for developing successful programs. First, coaches possessed a variety of
personal attributes that enabled them to display appropriate leadership behaviors depending on the situation
they faced. Second, coaches had a personal desire to foster their players’ individual growth. Third, coaches possessed thorough organizational skills from which they planned the season and prepared their team for games.
Finally, these elements were linked together by the coaches’ vision, which involved the athletes buying into the
coaches’ goals, philosophy, and personality in order to achieve success.)
Werthner, P. & Trudel, P. (2009). Investigating the idiosyncratic learning paths of elite
Canadian coaches. International Journal of Sport Science and Coaching, 4(3), 433450.
(How is it that one coach’s learning path emphasizes certain learning situations as key, and yet another coach’s
learning path emphasizes quite different situations? Fifteen Canadian Olympic coaches were interviewed to better
understand the coaches’ idiosyncratic learning-path phenomena. The findings provide an example of: (a) how
coaches within a specific and similar context, in this case Olympic level sport, can differ dramatically regarding the
importance that common learning situations have played in their development, and (b) how previous learning and
experiences influence what coaches choose to pay attention to and therefore choose to learn.)