Show Me, Tell Me: An Investigation Into Learning Processes Within Skateboarding as an Informal Coaching Environment

Abstract

Coach education is a learner-centred process, which often fails to consider the preferences of the consumer. Historically, research into performers’ experiences of coaching have been influenced by the social constructivism of learning: in short, an expressed preference for what the performer has experienced as determined by their coach, rather than their own personal preferences. Therefore, this research used skateboarding as a natural laboratory in order to explore the current practices and preferences of performers in a coach-free environment. Ninety-one skateboarders from parks in the United Kingdom and New Zealand offered information relating to their current learning practices, how they learnt about learning, and how the top-level performers in their environment were differentiated. Findings suggest that a number of learning tools are used by performers, which are closely aligned with a more traditional, cognitive view of coaching (e.g., demonstration, drills, and error usage). Results also suggest that performers deployed a number of cognitive skills (e.g., imagery, analogy, and understanding) to enhance storage of a movement as an internal representation. Finally, in the absence of formal coaching, performers use their knowledge of learning to appoint informal leaders. Implications for practice are discussed.

An Exploration of Coaching Practice: How Do High-Level Adventure Sports Coaches Develop Independence in Learners?

“…The findings reported in this section add further empirical support to recent publications that highlighted social learning as a function of action-sports learning (Collins et al, 2022;Ellmer et al, 2020) and learning in nature sports (Collins & Brymer, 2020). Specifically, all coaches view learning as a collaboration between themselves and the learner.…”

Coaching player decision making in rugby union: exploring coaches espoused theories and theories in use as an indicator of effective coaching practice

“…Similarly, advocates of the non-linear approach suggest that coaches set goals for sessions, through an informed diagnosis of what specific characteristics players need to improve (cf., Correia et al 2019;Renshaw et al 2019). Therefore, it is not theory which supports the creation of effective learning activities, but a pragmatic awareness of what methods will best support players experience and why (Collins, Collins, and Carson 2022).…”

“…We urge coaches consistently deepen their knowledge and understanding of coaching methods and engage in their own action research each time they coach (Schon 1991). However, we suggest that coaches be sceptical of and reflect on what is it that they do, what they're trying to achieve and why are they doing it (Abraham and Collins 2011b;Collins, Collins, and Carson 2022). Thus, coaches should be supported by coach developers to engage in a cognitive apprenticeship to understand theoretical concepts as tools available for hire within their coaching (Downes and Collins 2022).…”

An exploration of context and learning in endurance sports coaching

“…Fundamental to a CR ontology is the exploration and identification of causal tendencies rather than finding universal truths to explain complexity. Critical realists take a realist and subjective stance, believing that social structures can be real, but do not necessarily have a universal impact, and that they cannot necessarily be measured using simple empiricist methods ( 65 ). Critical Realists also posit that “the empiricist nature of causality is wrong” ( 69 ).…”

“…Furthermore, research questions should be co-created and designed through complementary practice with stakeholders operating within the context. Whilst theory construction has its place in this research process, it is important to recognise that a large and overlapping array of theories and components of theories can be used to influence applied practice ( 64 , 65 ). To be impactful, research must also be “accepted, adopted and complied with by consumers such as endurance athletes, coaches and practitioners” ( 47 ) and presented in a way that makes sense to them.…”