Exploring biographical learning in elite soccer coaching

Abstract

Qualified and skilled sport coaches are vital to the development of sport in general and of elite sport in particular. Research suggests that the development of coaching expertise in elite sport is a complex matter involving mediated, unmediated and internal learning situations. However, it is less clear to what extent and in which ways these learning situations are woven together in the coaches' learning paths. In other words, what is the ‘gluey’ link between these learning situations and the coach's idea of what constitutes expertise in coaching? The aim of this paper is to respond to this question by exploring the learning paths and learning situations of elite sport coaches from a biographical learning perspective. A micro-sociological cross-case analysis of qualitative research interviews with eight Danish elite soccer coaches about their pathways to coaching expertise laid the foundation for three insights. Firstly, an autopoietic (i.e. self-creative and self-organizing) resource more or less intentionally and deliberately pervades the thoughts and actions of coaches as they reinterpret what they learned in any given situation. The term breathing spaces may describe the process whereby the coaches' ‘biographicity’ pervades and oxidises their sense of expertise and personal style. Secondly, important face-to-face interactions and dialogues with other coaches seem to portray a coach's learning paths and experience of coaching expertise. Thirdly, more nuanced descriptions of a coach's learning situations interweaving mediated, unmediated and internal learning situations may be fruitful to future studies of coaches' learning paths. It is suggested that future coach educations might incorporate an approach that favours the coaches' biographical learning and development of expertise as personal journeys in authentic learning situations, an encouragement to create breathing spaces in the coach's professional life and assistance in learning from them.

Keywords:

• Coaching expertise
• Coach education
• Biographical learning
• Elite sport
• Mediated
• Unmediated and internal learning situations
• Biographicity