Helping athletes to learn, and through this learning to improve their performance, is the essence of sports coaching. In the context of new government-led initiatives to invest in and develop coaching, The Sports Coach as Educator expands current conceptualizations of coaching, encouraging a view of coaches as professionals with a primary role as educators. With contributions from leading international scholars in the fields of sports coaching and education, this book provides the first introduction to pedagogical theory for coaching.

The text draws on theoretical concepts from a critical pedagogical paradigm to show how attention to educational theory can enrich the practices of coaches and coach educators, increasing opportunities for coaches and enabling them to approach their work in new and inventive ways. The text explores:

? Educational concepts in coaching
? Coaching, teaching and leadership
? Athlete learning
? Coaching communities and the social process
? Reflective practice
? Mentoring
? Developing expert coaches

The Sports Coach as Educator will help coaches to understand the nature of coaching, and assist students and researchers to better theorize and explain it.