Study receives backing from Sports Coach UK

The study, which will be led by Dr Leanne Norman, will explore the experiences of current Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) participants in different sporting and demographic environments to understand topics such as their playing experience, their thoughts on coaching as a means to continue their involvement in sport, and whether there is a relationship (either positive or negative) between the two.

Dr Norman commented: "This will be a groundbreaking, valuable piece of research that the team from the Institute of Sport, Physical Activity and Leisure at Leeds Met are very much looking forward to working on in collaboration with Sports Coach UK.

"The research aims to understand the enablers, barriers and motivations to become or develop as coaches with reference to BME groups. The existing research suggests both structural and individual issues are important to understanding BME entry and progression in coaching. It also illustrates a commitment to develop and enable a more positive contribution from all members of the sporting community. Therefore, the research will not only seek to explore the experiences and opinions of participants and coaches but also stakeholders involved in shaping practice in sport coaching."

The research will focus on four popular sports with higher levels of black and ethnic minority participation: British Athletics, Badminton England, England Basketball, the England and Wales Cricket Board, as well as Sporting Equals. It will involve interviews with BME participants and coaches in addition to interviews and documentary analysis with the governing bodies.

The team, which also includes Professor Anne Flintoff, Professor Kevin Hylton, Julian North and Alexandra Rankin, will carry out the study between July and September, with results being made available from September 2013.