Gendered Issues Associated with the Complexities of the Football Association’s Coach Education Process

Abstract

In recent years, the provision of formal coach education has been regarded as a crucial mechanism for endorsing sports coaching and facilitating sports coaching practitioners’ professional development and competency. As a result, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of sports coaching research scholars investigating formal coach education. Previous research however has recognised that formal coach education has had a limited impact on learning and professional development. In addition, the research surrounding females in sports coaching, and in particular their experiences of formal coach education, is limited. It is considered an under-researched area, and currently it is unclear why females are under-represented in formal coach education courses. This thesis therefore aims to explore gendered issues associated with the complexities of the Football Association’s formal coach education process, and the issues associated with female football coaching practitioners’ attending coach education courses. The sports coaches who participated in this work were recruited via purposeful sampling procedures, and importantly demonstrated characteristics which resonated with the aims of this research study. The research study was separated into a four-phase, sequential, exploratory method design, which included a series of in-depth, one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed utilising a thematic analysis approach, and aligned with a Bourdieun and feminist theoretical framework. The findings revealed a range of contexts and challenges for female coaches undertaking formal coach education. Specifically, high levels of gender discrimination, inappropriate cultural practices, and sexual impropriety were recorded. These insights are discussed in line with the Bourdieun notions of social acceptance, symbolic language and violence. In conclusion, it is argued that the attrition levels of the sports coaching practitioners’ have indeed been affected, and could well continue to be, unless change occurs. Hopefully, the recommendations provided could go a long way to enhancing the future provision of formal coach education.