Dr Andrew Abraham, Head of Subject

Dr Andrew Abraham

Head of Subject

Andrew joined Leeds Beckett University in November 2007. During this time he has acted as the group leader for Sport Coaching. He has been involved with the development of numerous undergraduate and post graduate degrees in the area of sport coaching. One of the most pleasing aspects of his work is seeing graduates from these courses gain professional roles making positive impacts in the development of young people and other coaches.

Andrew has most recently been involved in developing and delivering a Post Graduate Diploma in Coach Development to coach developer within The English Football Association.

Andrew's research and consultancy work is recognised across the world. The impact of this work is seen within the International Sport Coaching Degree Standards, co produced with the International Council for Coaching Excellence, academics from universities across continents and practitioners from International Coaching Federations.

Current Teaching

  • BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching
  • MSc Sport Coaching
  • PG Dip Coach Development

Research Interests

My research interests lie in the areas of:

  • Coaching Expertise
  • Coaching Effectiveness
  • Coach Development
  • Talent Development
  • Team Decision Making

This research has directly impacted on the design and content of our undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, as well as impacting on coach development policy for several agencies including UK Coaching and The Football Association.

PHD Supervisor to 4 Students:

  • Mike Ashford
    Understanding the methods, role and development of decision making in rugby. A practice to theory approach
  • Gary Hodgson
    The role and impact of individual differences on coach learning
  • Kristina Patterson
    Effective coaching for adolescent female footballers: Aligning
  • Mario Staller
    Creating more effective learning environments for the development of self defence expertise
Dr Andrew Abraham, Head of Subject

Selected Outputs

  • North J; Piggott D; Lara-Bercial S; Abraham A; Muir B (2019) The professionalisation of sport coaching. In: Thelwell R; Dicks M ed. Professional advances in sports coaching: Research and practice. London: Routledge, pp. 3-21.

  • Abraham A (2016) Task Analysis of Coach Developers: Applications to The FA Youth Coach Educator Role. In: Allison W; Abraham A; Cale A ed. Advances in Coach Education and Development From Research to Practice. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 53-65.

  • Muir R; Till KA; Abraham A; Morgan G (2015) A Framework for Planning your Practice: A Coach's Perspective. In: Till K; Jones B ed. The Science of Sport: Rugby. Marlborough: Crowood Press, pp. 161-172.

  • Abraham A; Till K; Mckeown S; Muir B; Morgan G; North J; Jimenez Saiz S (2014) Planning your coaching: A focus on youth participant development. In: Nash C ed. Practical Sport Coaching. Routledge, pp. 16-53.

  • Morgan G; Muir B; Abraham A (2014) Systematic Observation. In: Nelson L; Groom R; Potrac P ed. Research Methods in Sports Coaching. Routledge,

  • Muir R; Morgan G; Abraham A; Morley D (2011) Developmentally Appropriate Approaches to Coaching Children. In: Stafford; Bailey R ed. Coaching Children in Sport. London: Routledge, pp. 17-37.

  • Abraham A; Collins D (2011) Effective Skill Development: How Should Athletes' Skills Be Developed?. In: Collins D; Richards H; Button A ed. Performance Psychology: A Guide for the Practitioner. London: Churchill Livingstone, pp. 207-230.

  • Abraham A; Collins D; Morgan G; Muir B (2009) Developing expert coaches requires expert coach development: Replacing serendipity with orchestration. In: Lorenzo A; Ibanez SJ; Ortega E ed. Aportaciones teoricas Y practicas para el baloncesto del futro. Sevillia: Wanceulen Editorial Deportiva,

  • Abraham A (2011) Best Practice in Coach Education: Practice to theory back into practice. In: 2nd  International Workshop for Coaching Excellence, 27 April 2011 - 29 April 2011, Cologne, Germany.

  • Abraham A; Morgan G; Muir R; Duffy P (2010) Developing High Performing Coaches: Learning from good practice. In: 6th Continental Conference of the International Council for Coach Education, 1 December 2010 - 4 December 2010, Papendal, Netherlands.

    http://www.icce.ws/conference/documents/ICCE_announcement_re_Papendal_ConferenceDec2010.pdf

  • Abraham A; Anderson HA; Diggle M; Duffy P; Mckeown S; Morgan G; Muir R; Schonfeld A (2010) Developing Youth and Talent Development Graduate Coaches - research into practice. In: 6th Continental Conference of the International Council for Coach Education, 1 December 2010 - 4 December 2010, Papendal, Netherlands.

    http://www.icce.ws/conference/documents/ICCE_announcement_re_Papendal_ConferenceDec2010.pdf

  • Abraham A; Muir R; Morgan G (2009) The UK Centre for Coaching Excellence Project Report: National and International Best Practice in Level 4 Coach Development. In: International Council for Coaching Education Global Coach Conference, 12 November 2009 - 15 November 2009, Vancouver, Canada.

    http://www.icce.ws/conference/index.htm

  • Abraham A; Morgan G; North J; Muir R; Duffy P; Allison W; Cale A; Hodgson R (2013) Task Analysis of Coach Developers: Applications to The FA Youth Coach Educator Role.

  • Collins D; Abraham A (In press) On Vampires and Wolves - Exposing and exploring reasons for the differential impact of coach education.

  • Ashford M; Cope E; Abraham A; Poolton J (2022) Coaching player decision making in rugby union: exploring coaches espoused theories and theories in use as an indicator of effective coaching practice. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, pp. 1-22.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2022.2153822

  • Staller MS; Koerner S; Heil V; Abraham A; Poolton J (2022) The planning and reflection of police use of force training: a German case study. Security Journal

    https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-022-00333-6

  • Staller M; Koerner S; Abraham A; Poolton J (2022) Topics, Sources and Applicability of Coaching Knowledge in Police Training. Frontiers in Education

    https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.730791

  • Staller MS; Koerner S; Heil V; Abraham A; Poolton J (2021) German police recruits’ perception of skill transfer from training to the field. International Journal of Police Science and Management

    https://doi.org/10.1177/14613557211064057

  • Staller MS; Koerner S; Heil V; Klemmer I; Abraham A; Poolton J (2021) The Structure and Delivery of Police Use of Force Training: A German Case Study. European Journal for Security Research

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s41125-021-00073-5

  • Ashford M; Abraham A; Poolton J (2021) Understanding a player’s decision making process in team 2 sports: A systematic review of empirical evidence. Sports, 9 (5),

    https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9050065

  • Ashford M; Abraham A; Poolton J (2021) What cognitive mechanism, when, where and why? Exploring the decision making of university and professional rugby union players during competitive matches. Frontiers in Psychology, 12

    https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.609127

  • Staller M; Körner S; Abraham A (2020) Beyond technique – The limits of books (and online videos) in developing self defense coaches’ professional judgement and decision making in the context of skill development for violent encounters. Acta Periodica Duellatorum, 8 (1), pp. 157-172.

    https://doi.org/10.36950/apd-2020-009

  • Ashford M; Burke K; Barrell D; Abraham A; Poolton J (2020) The impact of rule modifications on player behaviour in a talent identification and development environment: A case study of the Rugby Football Union's Wellington Academy Rugby Festival. Journal of Sports Sciences, pp. 1-7.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1795559

  • Ashford M; Abraham A; Poolton J (2020) A Communal Language for Decision Making in Team Invasion Sports. International Sport Coaching Journal, pp. 1-8.

    https://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2019-0062

  • Till KA; Muir R; Abraham A; Piggott D; Tee J (2019) A Framework for Decision-Making within Strength & Conditioning Coaching. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 41 (1), pp. 14-26.

    https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000408

  • Staller MS; Abraham A; Poolton J; Körner S (2017) It’s not about the pain – it’s about the feedback’: krav maga experts’ views on self-defence performance and the experience of contact, pain and injury in the process of skill development. Archives of Budo

    http://archbudo.com/view/abstracts/issue_id/408

  • Lara-Bercial S; Jimenez A; Abraham A; Bales J; Colmaire P; Curado J; Dieffenbach K; Ito M; Mokglate O; Nordmann L (2016) The International Sport Coaching Bachelor Degree Standards of the International Council for Coaching Excellence. International Sport Coaching Journal / ISCJ, 3 (3), pp. 344-348.

    https://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2016-0085

  • Staller, MS; Abraham A (2016) 'Work on Your Problem-Solving': Krav Maga Experts’ Views on Optimal Learning Environments for Self-Defence Training. International Journal of Coaching Science, 10 (2), pp. 91-130.

    http://www.ikcdc.net/English/Eng.asp

  • Abraham A (2014) Professionalism, Golf Coaching and a Master of Science Degree: A commentary. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 9 (4), pp. 923-926 (4).

    https://doi.org/10.1260/1747-9541.9.4.717

  • Collins D; Abraham A; Collins R (2012) On Vampires and Wolves - exposing and exploring reasons for the differential impact of coach education. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY, 43 (3), pp. 255-272.

  • Abraham A; Collins D (2011) Taking the Next Step: Ways Forward for Coaching Science. QUEST, 63 (4), pp. 366-384.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2011.10483687

  • eds. Allison W; Abraham A; Cale A (2016) Advances in Coach Education and Development From Research to Practice. Routledge.

  • Abraham A; North J; Lyle J; Lara-Bercial S; Norris L; Ashford M; Till K (2019) Expert, Effective and Ethical Coaching: Finding the Line [Online]. UK Sport.

  • North J; Piggott D; Lyle J; Lara-Bercial S; Muir R; Petrovic L; Norman L; Abraham A; Shaw W (2016) Research study on the UEFA Coaching Convention: A research report for UEFA [Online].

  • Abraham A (2012) Elite Club Coach Educator Project [Online]. The FA.

  • Abraham A; Morgan G; Muir B; Duffy P (2011) Part A: Implementing Best Practice Recommendations for Coach Development within a Higher Education Setting: The Leeds Metropolitan University MSc in Sport Coaching. Part B: Understanding Governing Body Readiness for Level 4: A Quantitative Examination from 7 Governing Bodies [Online]. Leeds: Sports Coach UK.

  • Lyle J; Abraham A; Muir R; Morgan G (2011) Technical Report for the UKCCE: United Kingdom Coaching Certificate Level 4 Guidance Document [Online]. Leeds: Sports Coach UK.

  • Abraham A; Muir B; Morgan G (2010) UK Centre for Coaching Excellence Scoping Project Report: National and International Best Practice in Level 4 Coach Development [Online]. Sports Coach UK.

    Available from: http://www.sportscoachuk.org/sites/default/files/UK%20Centre%20for%20Coaching%20Excellence%20Scoping%20Project%20Report%20Final%20Edit%20Field%20Codes%20Removed.pdf

  • Lara-Bercial S; North J; Till K; Abraham A; Norman L; Ashford M; Mitchell T; Emmonds S (2019) iCoachKids Plus Erasmus+ Project.