Perspectives on Athlete-Centred Coaching

Underpinned by a philosophy of empowerment, athlete-centred approaches to coaching are defined by a style that promotes learning through ownership, responsibility, initiative and awareness. Perspectives on Athlete-Centred Coaching offers an in-depth theoretical examination of player-focused coaching models, and provides professional guidance for practising coaches.

Written by a cast of world-leading scholars and practitioners, and offering a breadth of approaches to, and critiques of, the application of athlete-centred coaching, the book covers topics including:

? athlete-centred coaching and holistic development

? coaching tactical creativity

? athlete-centred coaching in disability sport

? team culture and athlete-centred coaching

? developing thinking players through Game Sense coaching

? supporting athlete wellbeing

? athlete-centred coaching and Teaching Games for Understanding

? athlete-centred coaching in masters sport.

Based on the latest research and offering the most comprehensive enquiry into this central area of coaching theory, Perspectives on Athlete-Centred Coaching is important reading for any students and lecturers of sports coaching or physical education, and practising coaches across any sport.

Introduction (Shane Pill) Part I: Theoretical Perspectives on Athlete-Centred Coaching 1. Athlete-centred coaching: Extending the possibilities of a holistic and process oriented model to athlete development (Linda L. Griffin, Joy I. Butler and Johanna Sheppard) 2. An athlete-centred approach to enhance thriving within athletes and coaches (Gretchen Kerr, Ashley Stirling and Joseph Gurgis) 3.Coaching tactical creativity in team sports (Daniel Memmert) 4. Athlete-centred coaching in disability sport: A critical perspective (Robert Townsend and Christopher Cushion) 5. Team culture and athlete-centred coaching (John P. Alder) 6. The importance of context in athlete-centred coaching (Wayne Smith and Rod Philpot) Part II: Research Perspectives on Athlete-Centred Coaching 7. Developing an athlete-centred coaching high performance field hockey (Stephen Harvey) 8.Developing thinking players: A coach’s experience with Game Sense coaching (Shane Pill) 9. Supporting wellbeing: Athlete transitions through elite to sub-elite sport (Deb Agnew and Andrew Marks) 10. Body in movement: Better measurements for better coaching (Carlos Goncalves, Humberto Moreira Carvalho and Luís Catarino) 11. Athlete-centred coaching and teaching games for understanding - not quite the perfect match (Adrian P. Turner) Part III: Researcher-Practitioner Perspectives on Athlete-Centred Coaching 12. Athlete-centred coaching for individual sports (Richard Light) 13. The autoethnographic journey of athlete-centred experiences, research and learning: Athlete to researcher now coach, and beyond (Karlene Headley-Cooper) 14. Athlete-centred coaching in swimming: An autoethnography (Terry Magias) 15. Athlete-centred approach - Beginning the process in junior teams (Greg Forrest) 16.Coach educators as athlete-centred practitioners (Ed Cope and Andy Lowe) 17. Applying the Game Sense approach and Mosston and Ashworth’s inclusion style-e to promote athlete-centred tennis coaching with junior novice players (Mitchell Hewitt, Ken Edwards, Machar Reid and Shane Pill) 18.Athlete-centred coaching: Tensions and opportunities arising in the masters context (Dawn Penney and Chris Zehntner)

Shane Pill is Associate Professor in Physical Education and Sport at Flinders University, Australia. He received a 2016 Australian Government Award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning and is author of the popular Play with Purpose resources for teachers and coaches.