Abstract
This article presents the findings of a season-long investigation of video-based coaching (VBC) practices in an English youth soccer academy. During the period of fieldwork, the lead author immersed themselves within the academy setting, in which they observed 22 VBC sessions and day-to-day interactions between coaching staff relating to these activities. In addition, 18 interviews were conducted with 5 coaching staff, totalling 8 hours of in-depth interview data. The fieldnotes and interview transcripts were iteratively analysed, utilising Goffman’s (1959) dramaturgical writings and Groom et al.’s (2011) grounded theory of VBC. Our analysis produced two overarching themes. These were a) how the coaching staff concealed that VBC sessions were principally designed to develop ‘high priority’ players and b) how the coaching staff purposefully withheld critical thoughts and feelings about their player’s performances, preferring instead to strategically focus on the provision of positive messages during VBC sessions. These findings not only contribute towards the limited investigation of this aspect of coaching but demonstrate the importance of educating coaches to acknowledge how VBC can be influenced by and used to respond to workplace demands and expectations.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching |
Publication status | Accepted/In press - 25 Apr 2024 |
Research Groups
- Practice in Coaching & Teaching