At the London Olympics in 2012 Team GB achieved a third place finish in the medals table. A key factor in this achievement was the high standard of contemporary British sports coaching. But how has British sports coaching transitioned from the amateur to the professional, and what can the hitherto under-explored history of sports coaching in Britain tell us about both the early history of sport and about contemporary coaching practice? A History of Sports Coaching in Britain is the first book to attempt to examine the history of British sports coaching, from its amateur roots in the deep nineteenth century to the high performance, high status professional coaching cultures of today. The book draws on original primary source material, including the lost coaching lives of key individuals in British coaching, to trace the development of coaching in Britain. It assesses the continuing impact of the nineteenth-century amateur ethos throughout the twentieth century, and includes important comparisons with developments in international coaching, particularly in North America and the Eastern Bloc. The book also explores the politicisation of sport and the complicated interplay between politics and coaching practice, and illuminates the origins of the structures, organisations and philosophies that surround performance sport in Britain today. This book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the history of sport, sports coaching, sports development, or the relationships between sport and wider society.

At the London Olympics in 2012 Team GB achieved a third place finish in the medals table. A key factor in this achievement was the high standard of contemporary British sports coaching. But how has British sports coaching transitioned from the amateur to the professional, and what can the hitherto under-explored history of sports coaching in Britain tell us about both the early history of sport and about contemporary coaching practice? A History of Sports Coaching in Britain is the first book to attempt to examine the history of British sports coaching, from its amateur roots in the deep nineteenth century to the high performance, high status professional coaching cultures of today. The book draws on original primary source material, including the lost coaching lives of key individuals in British coaching, to trace the development of coaching in Britain. It assesses the continuing impact of the nineteenth-century amateur ethos throughout the twentieth century, and includes important comparisons with developments in international coaching, particularly in North America and the Eastern Bloc. The book also explores the politicisation of sport and the complicated interplay between politics and coaching practice, and illuminates the origins of the structures, organisations and philosophies that surround performance sport in Britain today. This book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the history of sport, sports coaching, sports development, or the relationships between sport and wider society.

This book was shortlisted for the Lord Aberdare Prize 2013. While the relationship between amateurism and sport is well documented, the impact of this ethos on the professional coaches and trainers who directed and supported elite sporting performance has been entirely overlooked. This book explores the foundations of coaching and training practices and chronicles how traditional approaches to performance preparation evolved during the nineteenth century. Drawing on primary material to uncover the life courses of coaches and their families, the author argues that approaches to coaching replicated the traditional craft approach to skilled work. The advent of centralized, amateur-controlled governing bodies of sport created a significant shift in the coaching environment for professional coaches, meaning that individuals had to adapt to the master-servant relationship preferred by the middle classes. Cultural differences in the value accorded to coaching also contributed to a decline in the competitiveness of British athletes in the international arena. The author concludes by arguing that despite scientific advances, Edwardian coaching practices remained reliant on long-established training principles and that coaching practices in any period are inevitably an amalgamation of both tradition and innovation.

This book explores the historical development of coaching traditions across Europe, placing national approaches to coaching within their cultural and political context. Sports coaching is a social practice that has been shaped by its cultural context, resulting in different countries being characterized by different coaching traditions. By helping us to understand the history of coaching across Europe, this book allows us to better understand both the history of sport and the cultural and social history of Western European nations. Drawing on cutting-edge historical research by international scholars, the book presents studies of coaching cultures in France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. It explores how sporting histories, cultural attitudes, and social contexts resulted in distinctive coaching heritages, which were further shaped through coach migration and the adoption of elements of other countries' coaching structures. This book explores these phenomena to provide critical evidence of the historical impact of culture on the development of sports coaching. The book offers insight into the characteristics of European coaching traditions. It will be fascinating reading for academics in sports history, sports and coaching studies, gender studies, and transnational studies, as well as those with an interest in British or European history and social and cultural history.

This book explores the historical development of coaching traditions across Europe, placing national approaches to coaching within their cultural and political context. Sports coaching is a social practice that has been shaped by its cultural context, resulting in different countries being characterized by different coaching traditions. By helping us to understand the history of coaching across Europe, this book allows us to better understand both the history of sport and the cultural and social history of Western European nations. Drawing on cutting-edge historical research by international scholars, the book presents studies of coaching cultures in France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. It explores how sporting histories, cultural attitudes, and social contexts resulted in distinctive coaching heritages, which were further shaped through coach migration and the adoption of elements of other countries’ coaching structures. This book explores these phenomena to provide critical evidence of the historical impact of culture on the development of sports coaching. The book offers insight into the characteristics of European coaching traditions. It will be fascinating reading for academics in sports history, sports and coaching studies, gender studies, and transnational studies, as well as those with an interest in British or European history and social and cultural history.

Now in a fully revised and updated second edition, Foundations of Sports Coaching is a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the practical, vocational and scientific principles that underpin the sports coaching process. It provides the reader with all the skills, knowledge and scientific background they will need to prepare athletes and sports people technically, tactically, physically and mentally. With practical coaching tips, techniques and tactics highlighted throughout, the book covers all the key components of a foundation course in sports coaching, including: the development of sports coaching as a profession coaching styles and technique planning and management basic principles of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and psychology fundamentals of training and fitness performance analysis reflective practice in coaching. This second edition features more case studies from real top-level sport, including football, basketball and athletics, helping the student to understand how to apply their knowledge in practice and providing useful material for classroom discussion. The book also includes a greater range of international examples; more references to contemporary research and a stronger evidence base, and new questions in each chapter to encourage the student to reflect upon their own coaching practice. Foundations of Sports Coaching bridges the gap between theory and applied practice and is essential reading for all introductory coaching courses and for any sports coach looking to develop their professional expertise.

This title surveys the full depth and breadth of contemporary coaching studies, mapping the existing disciplinary territory and opening up important new areas of research.