Adventure Sports Coaching

Coaching adventure sports is part of the core work of many adventure educators but has been largely neglected in the adventure studies literature. This is the first book to link contemporary sports coaching science with adventure sports practice. It examines the unique set of challenges faced by adventure sports coaches, such as the dynamic natural environment and the requirement to train athletes to levels of high performance outside of traditional structures of competition, and explores both key theory and best practice.

The book covers key topics such as:

• Skill acquisition and skill development
• Models of learning and teaching
• Performance analysis
• Tactics and decision-making
• Training principles
• Mental skills techniques
• Goal setting and progression
• Risk management

Each chapter contains applied examples from a range of adventure sports, including mountaineering, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, and winter sport, as well as practical coaching techniques and a guide to further reading. Written by a team of authors with wide experience of coaching, teaching, researching and high performance participation in adventure sports, this book is invaluable reading for any student or practitioner with an interest in adventure, outdoor education, sports coaching or lifestyle sport.

Introduction 1. Conceptualising the Adventure Sports Coach 2. Understanding the Role of Pedagogy in Adventure Sports Coaching 3. Observing and Analysing Performance in Adventure Sports 4. Theories of Motor Learning and their Implications for the Adventure Sports Coach 5. Setting the Scene: A Framework for Coaching Practice in Adventure Sports 6. Coaching Tools for Adventure Sports 7. Coaching the Advanced Performer 8. Planning for Progression 9. Tactics: The Missing Link in Performance 10. Training Principles for Adventure Sports 11. Using Mental Skills in Your Adventure Coaching 12. Risk Management 13. Professionalism and the Adventure Sports Coach

Matt Berry is a lecturer at the University of Chichester teaching on adventure education and physical education programmes. Matt is an active adventure sports coach in a variety of sports but with a specialist interest in white water kayaking

Jane Lomax is a lecturer at the University of Chichester teaching on adventure education and physical education programmes. Jane is an active ski and netball coach and is also a BASES accredited sports scientist dealing with mental skills training

Chris Hodgson is a lecturer at the University of Chichester teaching on adventure education and physical education programmes. Chris is qualified as coach in skiing, paddle sport, mountaineering and windsurfing. His particular area of research interest is in human performance and environmental stress