Coach as Unfair and Uncaring

Abstract

Qualitative research can lead to new, emergent findings, and qualitative researchers should remain open to this possibility (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009). Grounded in research on coach effectiveness (e.g., Becker, 2009) and guided by phenomenological inquiry (Pollio, Henley, & Thompson, 1997), two unexpected themes emerged from a study on athletes' experiences with poor coaching. These two themes, the coach as uncaring and the coach as unfair, represent how athletes interpreted the coach's actions as unethical. While the findings of this study emerged unexpectedly, they nonetheless provide meaningful narratives of distrust and apathy. Recommendations for policy are given along with the urgent need for more research on ethics in the coach-athlete dyad.