The use of reflective conversations as a professional development tool – a narrative exploring the experiences of a performance analyst working in semi-elite football

Previous research into the use of reflective techniques, in applied sports environments, has tended to focus on the experiences of coaches. However, with the increasing professionalization of sports, coaches no longer stand alone as the focus for research into the professional development experiences of individuals. Yet, there is only limited research into the professional development of performance analysts. Consequently, this research sought to understand how a performance analyst could use reflective conversations with coaches, players, and expert analysts as a tool for professional development. The research adopted an autoethnographic approach to investigate the use of reflective conversations as a tool for professional development for a performance analyst. The data collection and analysis process followed three stages for Martin, the performance analyst the heart of the research: living the story, telling the story, and retelling the story. Through this process, two vignettes were written about Martin’s experience engaging in reflective conversations; ‘Delving Deeper’ and ‘A mirror conversation’. These vignettes highlighted the importance of Martin engaging in reflective conversations in order to develop strategies to manage professional issues as well as being beneficial in helping him to understand the opportunities for professional growth available within his role.