Non-formal Coach Education in a Secondary School High Performance Volleyball Academy

Abstract

2This masters has been a four year challenge. Balancing study with full time work as a physical education teacher and sports master, tutoring at university, getting married, being married, playing sport, coaching school and representative teams, gaining a level three coaching accreditation in volleyball, raising a puppy as a new addition to the family and maintaining somewhat of a social life has been difficult and at times very trying. Motivation levels varied however there was a core group of people who provided me with the guidance, support and resilience to see this process through.To my husband Rob, you have been my rock. Despite knowing how well I can procrastinate, your support never wavered even if it meant (at one stage) being the sole income earner with a mortgage, turning into a domestic Goddess, helping me edit long winded academic speak and on occasion assisting me in the mountains of marking that always seems to be left to the last minute. Your support and encouragement is invaluable in this process.To my Principal Supervisor, Dr Lee Wharton, thank you for offering this opportunity through QUT to complete a masters, thank you for your guidance, ideas and consistently being able to lower my stress levels. Most of all, thank you for your belief in my ability to do this and your unbelievable commitment even when you brake and dislocate both legs at once, have multiple surgeries and suffer from a severe staph infection, you still manage to find the time to supervise this process and maintain a positive and inspiration mindset. I would have never started, nor finished this thesis without you.Thank you to my Associate Supervisor, Associate Professor Tony Rossi you have been a fountain of knowledge, particularly in the field of action research and providing much needed guidance during this masters journey.To the lecturers within the Faculty of Health, thank you for your ongoing support and guidance. In particular, Dr Ian Renshaw, having an expert in the field of which I am researching is a luxury most researchers would not have access to. I am very appreciative of your advice and feedback regarding non-linear pedagogy, constraints-led approach and ecological dynamics theory.Thank you to my school Principal, Mark Farwell, for your support, approving my leave of absence and signing off and writing letters to satisfy the ethical approval process. My Head of Department Bruce Mann, and my HPE colleagues for supporting me and playing an active role in this adventure, for allowing this study to take place in our volleyball program and provided an insight and inspiration for change. As well as this you have all been a sound board for ideas, guidance, questions and at times an avenue to vent frustrations. I value and appreciate your support, opinion and your time. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 3The most challenging aspect of sports coaching is not the process of teaching players the rules, the technical elements or even the underpinning strategies of the game, but rather developing an understanding of when, where and how to eng...