‘Handshakes, BBQs, and bullets’: self-interest, shame and regret in football coaching

Abstract

This autoethnographic story explores the competitive, calculating, and often uncaring world of performance football coaching. Particular attention is given to the dilemmas I (the first author) faced, the choices I made, and the consequences of my actions within the coaching context. Bauman's work on liquid relationships is suggested as a lens through which my story can be viewed. By highlighting its political and emotional nature, this article seeks to contribute to an evolving problematic epistemology of sports coaching; one that seeks to extend beyond continuing rationalistic and 'heroic' accounts of practice.

Am I just not good enough? The creation, development and questioning of a high performance coaching identity

“…Such knowledge would, from our perspective at least, seem crucial if we are to better understand individual perceptions and sensibilities that are a significant feature of coaching. Equally, such work may also help us better understand the dilemmas, as well as the possible psychological and social issues, that might arise when an individual makes a heavy investment of his/her self into a coaching career (Brown & Potrac, 2009;Christensen, 2013;Potrac et al, 2013). As such, while we recognise that this has been an exploratory investigation of a single case, we hope this leads to future problematizing of the occupational contexts in which coaches are expected to operate.…”

“…That is, we know relatively little about how professional coaches experience working in environments in which their interactions and relationships with key contextual stakeholders are frequently "bound up in the production and consumption of [sporting] performances" (Roderick, 2006, p. 246;Jones & Wallace, 2005;Potrac, Jones & Armour, 2002) Some initial research (e.g., Cushion & Jones, 2006;Norman, 2010Norman, , 2012Norman, , 2013Potrac 2009a;Potrac et al, 2013) has hinted at these notions. For example, in drawing upon Bauman's thesis of liquid modernity, Potrac et al's (2013) autoethnographic work not only highlighted how the lead author understood his job security to be directly related to the perceived quality of his last coaching performance, but also how he subsequently adopted individualistic and short term working strategies and afforded little trust to his employer and colleagues.…”

“…This is somewhat surprising as sports workers might arguably experience careers that are not only "relatively short term in nature", but also include contending with "the ever-present possibility of career failure and rejection" (Roderick, 2006, p. 246; Andrews & Silk, 2012). Equally, it could be argued that what is true of actor subjectivity in the workplace in general, such as fears about the threat of unemployment, is also applicable for consideration in the careers of sports workers (e.g., Cushion & Jones, 2006;Potrac, Jones, Gilbourne, & Nelson, 2013;Roderick, 2006;Thompson, Potrac, & Jones, in press;).…”

“…Furthermore, while some studies have increasingly recognised the social complexity of coaching in a range of sports (e.g., Cushion & Jones, 2013;Denison, 2007Denison, , 2010Jones, Potrac, Cushion & Ronglan, 2011;Potrac & Jones, 2009a;Potrac et al, 2013), there remains a paucity of knowledge addressing the interactions that occur between coaches, their organisational contexts, the working conditions that they experience, and the impact that these interactions may subsequently have on their identities and career trajectories (Bayer, Brinkkjaer, Plauborg, & Rolls, 2009;Kelchtermans & Ballet, 2002;Norman, 2010, 2012, 2013Potrac & Jones, 2009a, 2009bSage, 1989;). That is, we know relatively little about how professional coaches experience working in environments in which their interactions and relationships with key contextual stakeholders are frequently "bound up in the production and consumption of [sporting] performances" (Roderick, 2006, p. 246;Jones & Wallace, 2005;Potrac, Jones & Armour, 2002) Some initial research (e.g., Cushion & Jones, 2006;Norman, 2010Norman, , 2012Norman, , 2013Potrac 2009a;Potrac et al, 2013) has hinted at these notions.…”

Activity theory, complexity and sports coaching: an epistemology for a discipline

“…It is not an approach that has served coaching well from the perspective of practice or as a profession. In terms of the former, the empirical evidence continues to mount that practitioners don't find such simplicity (or rationality) of much value in supporting or informing their work (Chesterfield, Potrac, & Jones, 2010;Nash, Sproule, Hall & English, 2012;Potrac, Jones, Gilbourne & Nelson, 2013). Similarly, with regard to the latter, such functionalist research only makes a negligible contribution at best to the creation of a recognisable domain-specific critical tradition.…”