Studying the Role of the College Coach As Educator

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to gain insight into how collegiate head coaches describe and understand their role as educators. The role of educating as a facet of coaching practice is well established in research literature concerning coaching practice. Given the social context in which coaching happens, and the self-reflective nature of the development of coaching knowledge, how coaches perceive their role as educators has significant implications for how coaches interact with athletes and how they educate both the athletes and themselves. Thematic analysis of the interviews conducted for this study revealed two themes concerning how coaches understand their role as educators: the coach-athlete relationship and storytelling. The coaches in this study felt that most of their role as educators is enacted through the relationships they construct and maintain with their athletes. Storytelling emerged as an important learning tool that coaches utilize to convey messages and lessons in ways that their learners can connect with on a personal level.