The study of the historical and cultural aspects of sports coaching has not received the same amount of scholarly attention as the pedagogical, psychological and sociological components of the coaching process. Coaching journals such as Sports Coaching Review and the International Journal of Sport Science and Coaching, for example, have focused almost exclusively on publishing articles on contemporary coaching practice to the exclusion of any consideration of how coaching has developed or how the transfer of coaching knowledge has occurred within and across cultures. These factors have been significant, however, in the development of sports coaching as a universally accepted means of improving athletic performance, as well as for practitioners in leisure sport and health sport. The relationships between sports coaching and Physical Education are also important in this respect.
The aim of this is to bring together scholars from diverse perspectives (historical, sociological, epistemological, and educational) who are interested in the history of coaching and/or its cultural significance. Although all relevant proposals will be considered favourably, the organisers are particularly keen to explore how coaching knowledge has permeated between different national sporting systems and would like to encourage contributions that discuss regional and transnational aspects of coaching developments. The cross-fertilisation of coaching and training practices between Britain and Europe, and vice versa, and the penetration of American and Soviet methods across Europe would be of especial interest, as would the impact on coaching of international mega-sporting events and the employment of non-native elite coaches in central administrative positions.

Event programme: Sport Coaching

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