Dr Anna Stodter

It is clear that sport coaches learn from multiple interconnected learning experiences, yet there is limited direct evidence to elucidate what is learned and how these combined experiences shape coaches’ knowledge and day-to-day practice. This research aimed to investigate the impact of the learning of two groups of English youth soccer coaches over a period of a year and a half. Using the Coach Analysis and Intervention System (CAIS) and associated video-stimulated recall interviews, changes in the practice behaviours and knowledge use of coaches completing a formal coach education course, and equivalent coaches not undertaking formal education, were compared. Data indicated that the learning period had a different effect on coaches taking part in formal coach education versus those not in education. Changes in the use of knowledge about individual players and tactics were reflected in increased behaviours directed towards individuals, and an altered proportion of technical to tactically related questioning, linked to coaches’ participation in education. Overall, more change was evident in coaching knowledge than in practice behaviours, suggesting an absence of deep learning that bridged the knowledge-practice gap.

High-performance sport has been the subject of controversy and scandal, coming under heavy scrutiny within the broad issue of “Duty of Care” in terms of the welfare and holistic development of athletes. The United Kingdom has many different schemes and mechanisms that are available to athletes to support them in their development on their athlete journey. However, there is a lack of research exploring whether these schemes and mechanisms fulfill athlete needs and facilitate athlete development. Utilizing Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory method, twelve full-time, high-performance Judoka (Judo athletes) were intensively interviewed, exploring the experience of their journey as an athlete. Three emergent categories: Development, Support and Environment revealed distinct areas the athletes experienced on their journeys. The three categories interlink and have the topic of athlete education and athlete learning interwoven among them. A pertinent finding was the lack of structured education that athletes received on their own development. Further research is needed to clearly understand what athletes need in this area to ensure that their wellbeing and welfare is at the forefront of athlete development and not just medal success.

Research into sport coaches’ learning previously relied on descriptive learning histories and retrospective coach perceptions that revealed little detail about the processes and outcomes involved. More recent nuanced approaches have started to evidence the idea that coaches actively integrate multiple experiences as interconnected modes of learning, influenced by pre-existing biography. A learning theory specific to coaching that can explain how practitioners dynamically interact with learning environments is a necessary addition to advance understanding, inform professional development opportunities and move the field forward. This research aimed to address this gap by investigating the learning of 25 English youth soccer coaches. Longitudinal semi-structured interviews and video stimulated recall interviews were used to elicit knowledge use in practice, associated sources of learning, and moderating factors. Data were organised and analysed using techniques and principles of grounded theory. A substantive grounded theory is presented to explain the filter process whereby individuals adopted, adapted and rejected elements of their experiences, leading to uneven learning in apparently similar situations. The findings suggest that coaches actively constructed and experimented with knowledge for use in socially situated coaching practice, through double-loop individual and contextual level filters, and ‘reflective conversations’. Questions of ‘what works’, how and for whom in this context of coach learning are addressed for the first time. Elucidation of these processes can enhance professional learning and practice through advancing evidence based ‘theory in context.’

This chapter illustrates how sport coaches learn to coach through idiosyncratic combinations of situations and opportunities ranging in formality, addressing a need for a more nuanced evidence base and a learning theory specific to coaching. Sport settings are often seen as an arena for athletes’ learning, development, and performance, yet those who coach also have their own equally important and impactful professional learning trajectory. Coaches filtered ideas through a ‘double-loop’ at individual and contextual levels and tried things out through practically-focused cyclical ‘reflective conversations.’ A more nuanced yet accessible way of depicting the findings that acknowledges the idiosyncrasies vital to coaches individualised learning can be beneficial. Representing post-positivist-informed, substantive grounded theory research findings as creative nonfiction sparked worthwhile considerations about the philosophical coherence and compatibility of these different approaches.

There is a clear need to design more effective professional learning environments, particularly in sport coaching as a developing educational profession. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interplay between theory-informed pedagogic design, the role of the coach developer, and sport coaches’ perceived learning in a Higher Education online undergraduate module on reflective practice. The project involved designing a module based on domain-specific theories of coaches’ learning and implementing multiple ‘reflective conversations’ with 21 professional association football coaches to structure their learning. Thematic analysis of data from 24 reflective conversations, five follow up semi-structured interviews and four focus group interviews, as well as a coach developer interview, determined perceptions of design, delivery and development. Findings demonstrated that theory-informed design and the aligned skill-set of the coach developer was significant in developing depth of participant coaches’ understanding, and connecting theory to authentic reflective practice. The findings provide evidence to support the need for developing underpinning pedagogic design in the effectiveness of professional learning environments for developing reflective practitioners in educative professions such as sport coaching.

This case study used principles from judo for falling and landing to create and deliver a coaching intervention, aiming to promote safe and effective contact technique and reduce head impacts in women’s rugby union. Forty athletes and two coaches at a university club received the intervention, with eleven taking part in focus group and individual interviews evaluating their experiences. Results highlighted the distinct nature of women’s rugby culture, the importance of confidence in contact, supporting players’ safety, and ways to progress coaching interventions for the benefit of the sport. This research can be used to inform future injury prevention strategies which incorporate cross-sport knowledge translation as well as athletes’ and coaches’ perspectives.

The purpose of this paper is to problematize the continued adoption and implementation of Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) framework (Balyi et al., 2005; 2014) as an increasingly orthodox conception of the athlete development process and for underpinning and designing sport coaching practice. In adopting a post-structuralist, Foucauldian perspective and drawing upon empirical interview data with Balyi and colleagues, senior government officials and sport administrators, our analysis examines some of the potential limitations for adopting and implementing LTAD as a conception of the athlete development process. In particular, we highlight the potential issues and contradictions linked to adopting such conceptions, namely their (mis)use as mechanisms of social control (i.e. governmentality), delimiting the ability of athletes and sport practitioners to think otherwise (i.e. disciplining and docility), and the potential to marginalize alternative ways of thinking. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for managerial and coaching practice.

Attempts towards achieving gender equality are widely considered to be ‘wicked’ problems and continue to be a global priority in line with other United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In sport, longstanding gender inequities are reproduced and perpetuated through problematic heteropatriarchal, ableist, and colonial sporting structures and cultures. These negatively impact women and girls and gender expansive people, as well as their access to quality sporting experiences across different pathways. As key actors within sporting ecosystems, sport coaches have a critical role to play in terms of supporting the development of inclusive, ethical, and equitable sporting environments and, more broadly, in the mainstreaming of quality sporting experiences for all. Therefore, the development of a gender and diversity-sensitive, -responsive, and -transformative coaching workforce should be a critical concern. This position paper builds on previous empirical work which has identified gaps in coaching knowledge alongside a range of problematic understandings and assumptions which currently shape coaches’ ‘gender-responsive’ coaching practices. It does so by identifying challenges and ways forward for enhanced coach learning and development strategies targeting the development of a more gender and diversity-responsive coaching workforce.

The role of the tutor in delivering formal coach education is critical in understanding the professional preparation of sport coaches. The recruitment, development, and retention of tutors with expertise is crucial to organisational success and has personal and professional implications for career transitions in coaching. This study focuses on teaching and learning experiences during the initial tutor training of novice coach education tutors from a national sport governing body in the United Kingdom. Grenier and Kehrhahn’s Model of Expertise Redevelopment is utilised as a theoretical tool to aid understanding of the transition from coaching to tutoring. Data were collected through document analysis, observations during and after initial tutor training and subsequent live delivery of courses, and follow-up semistructured interviews with nine tutors. The themes highlighted the need to acquire specific knowledge of the content, the role of others in the development of expertise, the use of situated learning as a catalyst for redevelopment, and the eagerness to establish their future learning pathway. The findings suggest that each territory of expertise (i.e., content, constituency and environment) did not remain stable when transitioning to the new domain of coach education tutoring and implications for future tutor training are provided.

Understanding sport coaches’ thought processes in situ is a developing area within both research and applied practice. Research methods such as the Think Aloud protocol (TA) and Stimulated Recall (SR) interviewing have been used to gain qualitative insights into cognitive and behavioural aspects of coaching practice, offering value in moving beyond popular yet somewhat simplistic, traditionally decontextualised uses of standard interview-based methods. However, TA and SR have limitations when used in isolation, and their application has been varied. This article provides an overview of both methods, comparing the practicalities of using each, as well as paradigmatic considerations, applications and considerations for extending their use in sport coaching research. We suggest that with appropriate critical appraisal of some of the methodological issues raised, researchers can use both methods to better understand, integrate and develop collaborative theory-in-action, research and practice in sport coaching.

The coaching and performance context in women's rugby is not well understood, despite growing popularity worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe the knowledge, attitudes and tackle training practices of women's rugby coaches in relation to tackle safety and performance. A globally distributed online survey exploring coaches’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards tackling women's rugby was completed by 357 coaches (mean age 41 ± 0.6 years) from 58 countries. The cross-sectional survey was distributed from March 2023 to June 2023. Survey development was guided by the Health Action Process Approach and informed by coaching experts, research evidence synthesis, and guidelines for international tackle safety programmes. Coaches believed that the risk of tackle injury in women's rugby is high and that proper tackle technique for safety is very important. More than 75% of coaches had never completed a tackle-specific training course, with only 39% aware of the availability of such courses. Time spent on controlled-contact and full-contact activities varied from 0 to 40+ min per week, averaging 10–20 min for both types of training. Barriers to the effectiveness of tackle training related to sociocultural factors, coach knowledge gaps, training environments, and player training considerations. Coach education, improved infrastructures, and physical development were ranked the highest priorities for improving tackle safety and performance. These findings inform future implementation strategies for tackle safety and performance in the context of women's rugby, highlighting the need to involve coaches in providing practical solutions, and the role of education and institutional/organisational support in facilitating such improvements.

Despite coach education being a focus of academic inquiry for over twenty years, coach developers (e.g., tutors) have been neglected from the literature until recently. In recognising and understanding the role of the tutor in delivering quality learning programmes for sport coaches, it is also important to consider who tutors are and how biographical factors influence their development towards expertise. This article utilises Grenier and Kehrhahn’s Model of Expertise Redevelopment as a tool to aid understanding of the transition from sport coaching to tutoring. Narrative interviews were used with seven novice athletics coach education tutors embarking on a ‘fast-track’ tutor development programme. Data were subject to narrative thematic analysis and presented as composite vignettes. The vignettes portray six common themes highlighting that becoming a coach education tutor is a lifelong process of episodic experiences. The features of novice tutors’ biographies are a useful starting point in evidencing the development of expertise. These findings could be used to inform tutor recruitment and training. The current study adds to the emerging body of literature by providing one of the first empirical accounts exploring the developmental experiences of novice coach education tutors.

The objective of this paper was to systematically review the empirical evidence surrounding sport coach developers’ (CDs) professional learning. CDs are key in coaching ecosystems because they influence coaches’ learning. However, little is known about the processes and mechanisms involved in how CDs learn to practice, which has implications for their training and support requirements. A thematic synthesis was undertaken on the 30 included studies. Findings generated themes concerning (1) CDs’ understanding and application of learning theory, (2) the influence of their employing governing body, (3) the role and importance of peers, and (4) expert facilitators in influencing CDs’ professional learning and practice. These findings provide insights for CDs and organisations responsible for training and developing CDs. The limited body of literature highlights the juvenile state of CD research, and recommendations are made to further investigate CDs from a broader range of sports and contexts.

This research discusses the development of academic-practitioner partnerships in forensic science and examines the opinions and experience of those involved in the field. An anonymous online survey was completed by 56 participants who work in the field of forensic science. The questions related to their work experience, their experience of research and partnership, and their opinions on the benefits and barriers that exist. The results were analysed using a mixed methods approach, with quantitative analysis of the responses to closed questions using two-way chi-square statistical analysis, and qualitative analysis of the free text responses using reflexive thematic analysis. This work identifies the demand for partnership, the perceived benefits and barriers that exist, and establishes how the role of the participant (academic, pracademic or practitioner) impacts their view of partnership. We include the term pracademic to mean an individual who has worked as a practitioner and an academic, not necessarily simultaneously. Quantitative analysis identified that there was very little statistically significant difference in the responses between groups. Pracademics considered that 'institutional and cultural' and 'lack of the respect of the other role' were more significant barriers than the other groups. Association was also found between those with greater experience of research and the view that partnership 'improved legitimacy in practice' and 'increased legitimacy of research'. There was also statistical significance in those with more than average experience of partnership who identified 'improved legitimacy in practice' as a benefit of partnership. Reflexive thematic analysis of free text comments identified a need and demand for partnership with three key themes developed as being necessary for successful partnership. These are the 'three 'R's' - the need for effective communication and the development of a Relationship; the Relevance of the partnership to the participants role; and the inclusion of personal Reward such as improved practice or better research.

Despite the centrality of coach developers to formal coach education settings, only a handful of studies have begun to touch upon the role they play in mediating quality learning, while links between different layers of learning and impact on coach learners remains underexplored. This research explored English coach developers’ understanding of learning, and the learning frameworks taught to them, through unstructured interviews and participant observation of a generic coach developer training course. Three coach developers were observed delivering formal coach education, to elucidate how understanding was applied in practice. Supporting interviews with 16 coaches attending the course gave an indication of reactions to developers’ practice. Combined layers of data were analysed using a three-phase integrated analytic process. In the absence of pertinent evidence-informed coach developer training course design and delivery, implicit ‘practice-theories’, based on participants’ experiences as coaches and coach developers, appeared to inform understanding and practices. Despite acknowledging ‘learner centred’ learning principles, coach developers experienced challenges implementing these in practice and coach learners perceived confusion and contradictions. Findings are discussed in relation to contemporary ideas around coaches’ and coach developers’ learning, to highlight potential ways that coach developers could be more effectively prepared and supported.

Despite being subject to criticism for failing to match the realities of everyday practice, there appears to be a lack of direct empirical evidence for the impact of formal education on coaches' knowledge and practice. While a test of an evaluation strategy by Gilbert and Trudel (1999) stands out as one study which attempted to address this, research investigating coaches' learning as an integrated whole, taking their existing biography and practice contexts into account, remains necessary. Employing an in-depth case study approach, this research used multiple methods to track two coaches over a year, encompassing their time before, during and after attending a coach education programme. Contrasts were apparent between the espoused and implicit philosophies of the course, and between course and club cultures. Coaches, therefore, displayed minimal changes in behaviour, relying on their existing biography to filter new ideas and integrating ‘what works’ into their practice context. Detailed longitudinal data such as these are necessary to elucidate and guide the processes of coach development.

Rugby Union (rugby) is a full-contact team sport characterised by frequent collision events. Over one third (2.7 million) of global rugby participants are women and girls. Yet, most rugby research, laws, and regulations are derived from the men’s game with limited transferability to the women’s game. This includes research focused on injury and concussion management. Greater insights are urgently required to enable appropriate adaptations and support for all rugby participants. Therefore, this paper presents the protocol for a project that sought to gather insights into the understanding, experiences, and attitudes of players and coaches in women’s rugby regarding key issues of concussion, injury, and training for injury prevention, as well as the implications of the menstrual cycle for training and performance. From August 2020 to November 2020, online, open, cross-sectional surveys for players and coaches were distributed globally through rugby governing bodies and women’s rugby social media platforms using snowball sampling. Survey responses were recorded anonymously via a GDPR-compliant online survey platform, JISC (jisc.ac.uk, Bristol, England). Participant eligibility included being ≥18 years and either actively playing or coaching women’s rugby 15s and/or sevens, or having done so in the past decade, at any level, in any country. To enhance the number and accuracy of responses, the survey was professionally translated into eight additional languages. A total of 1596 participants from 62 countries (27 ± 6 years; 7.5 ± 5.1 years of playing experience) and 296 participants from 37 countries (mean age = 36.64, SD = 9.09, mean experience = 6.53 years, SD = 3.31) completed the players’ and coaches’ surveys, respectively. Understanding women’s participation in and experiences of rugby is important to enable lifelong engagement and enjoyment of the sport and health during and following participation.

Mixing quantitative and qualitative approaches or research methods in a single programme of inquiry brings several advantages to researchers studying complex questions in sport coaching. Mixed methods (MM) research designs can uniquely benefit from the strengths of certain methods while minimising the weaknesses and potentially overcoming the limitations of others. Yet MM research is still less common in sport coaching than solely quantitative or qualitative approaches, and a clear, informed sense of logic and purpose is needed to build a rationale for its effective use. The ‘messy reality’ of implementing MM projects mirrors the day-to-day, in situ coaching contexts we aim to investigate. This represents a challenge for researchers who may also struggle with linking and integrating different data both analytically and in presenting findings. This chapter explores the use of mixed methods approaches in sport coaching research, discussing underpinning paradigms while addressing challenges of ‘incompatibility’ and quality. Applied considerations for MM research will be shared with examples from work that has successfully navigated these challenges. Overall, based upon a strong rationale, engagement with paradigmatic considerations, and a focus on generating and effectively integrating quality data, mixed methods research has much to offer sport coaching researchers hoping to further the field and positively influence people’s lives.

This article aims to review and comment upon the current “state of play” for research around contact and tackle training in women's rugby, covering tackle injury risk, match contact demands, players' experiences of contact coaching and contact skill preparation. In women's rugby, the tackle is the most common match technical‐physical contest, accounting for around two‐thirds of all injuries and carrying the greatest injury burden. Players' experience and technical abilities are key determinants of tackle safety and performance. Despite this, there is limited research available that connects insight into women's rugby contact demands with the how and why of effective tackle and contact training and coaching in context. This review suggests that adapting and adopting progressive tackle skill training frameworks and gender‐responsive coaching practices can aid tackle skill learning in women's rugby. Creative transdisciplinary research and more effective translation and implementation activities that take place within the vibrant and growing context of women's rugby can enhance science and safety whilst working as a medium for social change.

This chapter explores coach learning alongside a contemporary understanding of expertise as it applies to coaching in soccer. It considers how findings about current coach development may, or may not, contribute to the development of coaching expertise. The chapter then presents evidence-informed guidance for coach development focusing on developing adaptive coaching expertise. Coaches frequently report that informal learning grounded in everyday experiences has much more influence on their development in comparison to the impact of formalised coach education. Researchers have tended to report coaches’ perceptions of formal learning opportunities, with much criticism directed at the use of prescriptive teaching strategies aligned to a simplistic ‘instruction’ paradigm, decontextualised delivery, and limited relevancy or influence on the ‘real-world’ dynamic demands of coaching. Reflective practice is important in developing expertise as well as being a feature of adaptive expertise. There are many types of reflection (e.g., descriptive and creative), but the key type in coach development is critical reflection.

PURPOSE: The potential impact of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) on player health and performance in women's rugby union (rugby) is not well understood, despite rugby's growing popularity worldwide. This study investigated the prevalence of HC use and reported associations with training and performance in a global sample of women rugby players. METHOD: A globally distributed online survey, seeking to explore experiences in women's rugby, was completed by 1596 current or former adult women 7s or 15s rugby players (mean age 27 [6] y; 7 [5] y playing experience) from 62 countries. The survey included a section of questions about reported HC use, including the type, reason for use, symptoms, and experiences relating to rugby training and performance. RESULTS: A total of 606 (38%) participants from 33 of the 62 (53%) countries reported using HCs, with the combined oral contraceptive pill reported as the most frequently used (44%). Almost half of participants using HCs (43%) tracked HC-related symptoms. Over 10% reported altered rugby performance due to HC-related symptoms, 22% required medication to manage symptoms, and 11% used HCs to control or stop their menstrual periods for rugby training and performance. CONCLUSIONS: The current study highlights the prevalence of HC use in women's rugby, identifying practices that may negatively affect performance, health, and well-being. Thus, there is an urgent need to better understand the motivations for such practices and knowledge of potential side effects among women rugby players across all levels and countries.

Training strategies to promote safe and effective tackle technique are an important target for injury prevention and enhancing performance across the rugby codes. However, there is a research‐to‐implementation gap in ‘real‐world’ settings and a need for more studies with women and girls. This article outlines the development of an evidence‐informed tackle coaching intervention co‐created with content and context experts in women's rugby union. Based on previous work which developed a context‐specific injury‐prevention programme for women playing Australian Football, a 7‐step process was adopted. After gaining organisational support, the process included using research evidence and applied experience and engaging intervention implementers to co‐create the content for ‘Contact Confident’. Iterative integration of feedback from early implementers enhanced practical relevance for coaches. This study underlines the importance of stakeholder collaboration in cocreating and implementing injury prevention interventions, offering a scalable resource for tackle and ball carrier skill development in rugby union for women and girls, with wider relevance for other genders and sports. Future research should look to evaluate the impact of this and similar context‐specific interventions on coach behaviour and athlete outcomes across varied global rugby settings.

This presentation will provide a summary of the findings of a research project undertaken on behalf of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in England between May-July 2024. The project focused on developing an enhanced understanding of the factors that influence university to club transition for female rugby union players. Anecdotal evidence from the RFU suggests that less than 50% of players within university programmes continue playing rugby union post-graduation. Therefore, the study specifically aimed to analyse the motivations for participation in university programmes, the desire to continue playing post-university and the key influences on this, and to better understand the rugby union ‘offer’ within universities. The findings from the study will be utilised by the Rugby Football Union to inform the implementation of their Legacy 2025 strategy. This focuses on harnessing the impact of the Women’s Rugby World Cup due to be held in England in 2025, with club transition one element of the playing and volunteering strand of the strategy. Research highlights that ‘tracking’ of participation in sport is a challenge for governing bodies, yet this data remains crucial to their ability to understand key transition points such as from age group into adult categories, from university into community provision, and from adult into masters’ opportunities. van Houten et al. (2019) highlight five major life-events that are significant on sport participation with the transition out of full-time education into employment recognised as a key event. These ‘transition events’ change an individual’s roles and responsibilities therefore impacting upon their leisure time and preferences (Bell & Lee, 2005; Wolman & Fraser-Thomas, 2017). Steveson and Clegg (2011) recognised that engagement in extra-curricular activities such as sport whilst at university can be a way of students orientating themselves towards their future imagined selves – therefore a key focus of this research was to develop a better understanding of the motivations behind student engagement with rugby programmes. And whilst the study does not seek to compare the experiences of male and female students, it was cognisant of the different motivations female students may have for playing sport at university compared to male students, and the different experiences they may have whilst doing so with recognition that this may impact on sporting transitions after graduation (Rintaugu & Ngetich, 2012; Phipps, 2021; Sáez, Solabarrieta & Rubio, 2021). At present, much of the research on the experiences of athletes within university sport settings tends to focus on elite athletes – those who are engaged with performance pathways, not necessarily those playing at lower competitive levels or who are participating in social or recreational programmes (see; Brown et al, 2015; Mateu et al, 2020). Research by Mateu at al. (2020) on elite athletes within university sport settings identified tensions between training and study time. Although many students playing rugby at university are not on elite pathways, they are still likely to experience competing demands on their time, particularly if they are also engaged in part time work, something that has become a necessity recently for many students in the UK due to cost of living increases (ONS, 2023). This combination of pressures may result in dropout from sport whilst studying – this being an important consideration for those responsible for rugby programmes within universities and for governing bodies hoping to foster lifelong participation and connections with their sport. Furthermore, whilst Wolman and Fraser-Thomas (2017) identified strategies used by community clubs to support players to transition from age group programmes into senior teams such as gradual introduction to the senior (adult) level, a focus on skill development, fitness, and health, flexibility in programming, and providing opportunities for leadership roles, very little is known about how attending university disrupts or impacts upon these strategies. Research on career transition for student athletes also offer useful insights for this study. Many of these studies tend to be based within North America and/or focus on elite athlete career transitions (see: Knights, Sherry & Ruddock-Hudson, 2016; Stokowski, Paule-Koba & Kaunert, 2019; Stambulova, Ryba & Henriksen, 2021) with limited studies focusing on transitions from university into broader physical activity or community sport (see: Bjornsen-Ramig et al., 2020; Smith & Hardin, 2020). Smith and Hardin’s (2020) study identify different phases within an athlete’s journey through university namely, moving in - compatibility, moving through - identity directly tied to sport, and moving out - redefining oneself. Using this framework, key considerations in this research involve exploring; how and why female students decide to participate in rugby whilst at university, how this connects to their self-identity, and what influences their decision to either continue playing post-graduation or reach what Park, Lavallee and Todd (2013) describe as a ‘retirement point’. Other studies also emphasise the psychological aspects of transition such as the emotional preparedness of students to ‘move on’ (Bjornsen-Ramig et al., 2020; Mateu et al., 2020). Findings suggest that those students who planned for or attained career-related experiences were more likely to maintain a physically active lifestyle once they had graduated. Meanwhile, broader studies on university-career transitions (see for example: Donald, Ashleigh & Baruch, 2018) suggest that career advice received whilst studying is influential on graduate destinations. There are clear parallels here with sporting transitions, particularly the importance of students receiving social support and mentoring from lecturers, coaches, and sporting administrators to support university-club transitions (particularly to support the ‘moving out-redefining oneself’ phase) (Stokowski, Paule-Koba & Kaunert, 2019; Bjornsen-Ramig et al., 2020; Smith & Hardin, 2020; Stambulova, Ryba & Henriksen, 2021). Therefore, a further aspect of this research involved exploring how universities support sporting transitions. The study used a two-phase survey-based approach to generate insights into the factors that influence university-club transition. This involved capturing data from female players currently studying and playing rugby at English Universities plus recent graduates, and secondly from club or university administrators responsible for managing rugby union programmes within universities. The survey targeting female players was distributed via university rugby clubs/programmes, relevant social media sites, personal networks of the research team and RFU staff, and networks connected to other relevant sport organisations such as British Universities and College Sport (BUCS). There are currently 6 women’s leagues for full contact 15-a-side rugby union within the British Universities and Colleges competitions with many universities also offering opportunities for female students to play sevens rugby or engage with social/recreational opportunities such as Touch Rugby. The research aimed to achieve 500 survey responses from current and past students representing a range of playing abilities and levels – with the RFU particularly interested in exploring the experiences of non-elite players. The survey targeting university administrators was distributed directly to relevant personnel within universities (a total sample of 139 universities across England) via existing professional connections. Both surveys went ‘live’ at the end of May 2024 with a four-week window for completion. The surveys used predominantly closed questions with a limited number of open questions used to seek additional explanations/detail. Data from female players was analysed using cluster and latent profile analysis to develop different player profiles based on their desire to play, motivations and playing history. Analysis was also conducted to identify reasons for drop-out or ‘retirement’ and to explore how career transition impacted on continued participation in rugby. Data from the university clubs was analysed to highlight key characteristics of rugby programmes – specifically focusing on how players were recruited, supported, and enabled to transition into community rugby opportunities. As the research is currently ‘live’ – findings from the study were not available at the point of abstract submission but will be available and presented at the conference. The findings of the study will be used by the RFU to develop strategies to enhance player recruitment and retention within university rugby clubs, support players to transition into community clubs (thus maintaining their participation in the sport) and to provide improved support to university sport administrators responsible for delivery of sport provision for students. The insight generated from the research is also likely to be of interest to other governing bodies of sport seeking to maintain and support their ‘core market’ (existing players) as well as grow their sport. It will also add value to the existing knowledge base around sporting transitions, and contribute to an gap in knowledge around transitions from university into community sport.

This report was commissioned by UK Coaching as part of a wider piece of work aiming to diversify the performance coaching workforce. It details a research project which as a starting point aimed to better understand the diversity of the biographies, experiences, and learning journeys of coaches undertaking the following UK Coaching coach development programmes: Focus, Explore, Elevate, and Horizon.

The design and delivery of formal coach education and learning opportunities appear to be permeated by taken-for-granted discourses. These discourses exercise a systemised influence on the social construction of coaches’ professional knowledge, with potentially problematic consequences. Adopting a discursive methodology using discourse analysis, this study explored the ways in which facilitators and coaches in a high-performance coach education programme constructed coach learning. Data were collected over a two-year period using on-course participant observation (10 days), interviews with coaches and course facilitators (n = 29), and document analysis. Findings indicated a dominant discourse of ‘learning’ as a linear, mechanistic and unproblematic process occurring independently of context, and of coaches as experiential learners, which positioned participants as anti-intellectual and uncritical adopters of ‘what works’. These discourses functioned to reproduce relations of power between the facilitators (the holders of knowledge) and the participants (the recipients of knowledge). The impact of these discursive resources on programme design and delivery are discussed, alongside implications for elite coaches’ subjectivity and practice, in order to confront dominant and legitimate ‘truths’ in coach education.

Sport coaching has often been considered a cognitive activity, aligning to a dominant psychological discourse within a process-product paradigm (Lyle & Cushion, 2017). It is a logical extension of this line of thought to turn to cognitively informed perspectives to help us understand how coaches learn, and in turn how to develop coaches and their coaching. This chapter aims to explain internal processes of learning and development, with examples from sport coaching and coach development situations. It foregrounds what is involved with respect to learning from this perspective, then considers who the coach learner is, and finally explores how cognitive approaches can help us in supporting coaches’ learning and development. While acknowledging limitations to the available evidence from sport coaching, understanding internal processes such as perception, attention, memory, and the integration of different types of knowledge into changing mental models can offer much-needed focus for coach development and coach developers, for the benefit of sport coaching as a profession and a discipline.

Introduction It is well-recognised that fulfilling the role of a coach is multi-faceted. In rugby, some of these coaching facets have been studied, however the research has not been reviewed. Reviewing the literature on rugby coaches will inform and guide policies, coach education, research and practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide a scoping review of the current coach focused literature on rugby union, rugby league and rugby sevens. Methods A scoping review was conducted on five electronic databases (EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science) until January 2022 using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Participants had to be coaches within rugby union, sevens and league to be included. Data were extracted and analyzed to form a numerical and thematic summary. Results 105 articles were included. 76% of the studies were on rugby union, 14% on league, 1% on sevens and the remainder focused on a combination of rugby cohorts or did not specify. Three themes were identified via a thematic analysis based on the content of the articles, these were coach knowledge (68%), coach pedagogies (29%), and coach development (4%). Conclusion The main finding in this review is that research on rugby coaches understood the risk, prevention, and management of injuries. Educational resources should include all aspects of rugby play or training injuries. The importance of the athlete-coach relationship and coach reflective practices was another significant finding. Coaches are encouraged to have a broad understanding of various aspects related to the player's welfare, which can be developed using formal and/or nonformal learning.

This chapter explores the implementation and review of an assessment for learning (AfL) strategy in an undergraduate sport coaching degree, in the UK. After introducing the context of the degree – the framework around which it is built and the AfL strategy we developed – the chapter focusses on the implementation of the strategy in a Level 6 (final year) module. We explain the main theoretical ideas informing our approach and our expectations about the intended outcomes for student learning. Taking a practitioner research approach, we then review the AfL ‘experiment’, drawing on staff diaries and staff and student focus groups to reflect both on the successes of the approach and the difficulties we encountered across the year. We found that the AfL experiment worked well with students who attended, engaged, and had good existing self-regulatory skills and capacities. We also experienced several challenges with the wider body of learners who struggled with the consistent demand to produce and review work and with the social dynamics of peer feedback processes. We conclude with some ideas for the ongoing development and refinement of our AfL strategy in the hope that others may learn from our errors.

Head acceleration events (HAEs) can potentially have adverse consequences for athlete brain health. In sports, in which head injuries have the highest incidence, identifying strategies to reduce HAE frequency and magnitude is a priority. Neck training is a potential strategy to mitigate against the magnitude of HAEs. This two-part study aimed to (1) systematically review the literature of neck training interventions in sport and (2) undertake an expert Delphi consensus on the best practices for neck training implementation to reduce HAEs in sport. Part I: a systematic search of four databases was undertaken from the earliest records to September 2024. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) guidelines were followed, and a quality assessment was completed using a modified Downs and Black assessment tool and the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Papers were eligible if they both (1) implemented a reproducible exercise intervention targeting the neck within collision, combat or motor sport, and (2) assessed outcomes relating to either: the physical profile of the neck; head/neck injury incidence; and/or HAEs. Part II: 18 international experts, with experience in research and/or applied practice of neck exercise training, concussion and/or HAEs, reviewed the part I findings before completing a three-round Delphi consensus process. Part I included 21 papers, highlighting the heterogeneity of existing interventions. Part II resulted in 57 statements coded into five categories: contextual factors (n=17), neck training periodisation (n=12), training adaptations (n=10), neck training content (n=15) and athlete adherence (n=3). This study presents recommendations for neck exercise training aiming to reduce HAEs in sport, supporting both practice and future research.

Objective Within women’s rugby league (n=12 teams), we (1) identified modifiers for head-to-head contacts informed by sport partners (eg, players, coaches, match officials); (2) compared head-to-head contact and concussion rates to the previous two seasons following a one-season tackle technique coaching intervention and (3) explored barriers and enablers of the intervention. Methods A multi-method design was used. Part 1: Mitigation strategies were identified by sport partners reviewing footage of head-to-head contacts, informing the development of a coach-targeted tackle technique intervention. Part 2 evaluated the intervention, comparing head-to-head contact and concussion incidence rates (IRs). Interviews with coaches and players (n=6) explored barriers and enablers to effective implementation and compliance with the intervention. Results Sport partners reported tacklers were more responsible for head-to-head contacts and lowering the tackle height was the most frequently suggested mitigation strategy preintervention and postintervention. Head-to-head contact rates were significantly lower during the intervention than preintervention (IR 59; 95% CI 56 to 62 vs IR 28; 95% CI 25 to 30/1000 tackle events); however, concussion rates showed no difference. Perceived barriers to the intervention included underdeveloped physical and technical foundations of players, lack of knowledge and understanding of the intervention and its purpose, and the environmental context and lack of resources in women’s rugby league. Beliefs about the consequences of the tackle and concussion were perceived as barriers and enablers. Conclusions Head-to-head contact rates were significantly lower; however, concussion rates did not decrease following a tackle technique coaching intervention. Reduced head-to-head contacts are potentially due to an increased focus on head injury reduction and increased player/coach awareness and support.

Working within the Centre for Social Justice in Sport and Society (CSJ) at Leeds Beckett University, UK, has provided opportunities for the authorship team to work with sports organisations on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion. What has become increasingly apparent is the need to conceive inclusion in ways that move beyond issues of access and participation, a policy or targeted programme. What emerges across our research projects is the significance of belonging to inclusion. Within this paper we offer insights into the embodiment of belonging through four processes – feeling seen, heard, valued and known which form our ‘Anchors of Belonging’ framework. We bring each anchor to life using examples from the CSJ’s research portfolio. We pose several reflective questions organisations might use as a guide to leverage the anchors and adopt a more proactive ­person-centred approach to create an inclusive environment for their workforce.