Sports coaching is a social activity. At its heart lies a complex interaction between coach and athlete played out within the context of sport, itself a socio-culturally defined set of practices. In this ground-breaking book, leading international coaching scholars and coaches argue that an understanding of sociology and social theory can help us better grasp the interactive nature of coaching and consequently assist in demystifying the mythical ‘art’ of the activity. The Sociology of Sports Coaching establishes an alternative conceptual framework from which to explore sports coaching. It firstly introduces the work of key social theorists, such as Foucault, Goffman and Bourdieu among others, before highlighting the principal themes that link the study of sociology and sports coaching, such as power, interaction, and knowledge and learning. The book also outlines and develops the connections between theory and practice by placing the work of each selected social theorist alongside contemporary views on that work from a current practicing coach. This is the first book to present a critical sociological perspective of sports coaching and, as such, it represents an important step forward in the professionalization of the discipline. It is essential reading for any serious student of sports coaching or the sociology of sport, and for any reflective practitioner looking to become a better coach.

Coaching is a central feature of sport at all levels. This groundbreaking new text is the first to offer a comprehensive introduction to the conceptual issues that underpin sports coaching practice, and to provide a complete conceptual framework for understanding sports coaching. The analysis presented within the book is practice-orientated, exploring the language of the coaching process in order to define the role of the coach, and to better understand the relationship between the coach and the sports performer. Sports Coaching Concepts introduces the key issues behind every stage of the coaching process, presenting important new material on topics such as: * the historical and international context of the development of sports coaching * the role of the coach * participation and performance coaching modes * modelling the coaching process * coaching 'style' and 'philosophy' * decision-making and regulating the process * social factors influencing practice * the future of coach education and professionalisation. The book draws together the existing sports coaching literature for the first time, setting it against important new conceptual developments, and promises to have a profound influence on the nature of our coach education programmes. This book therefore represents essential reading for any student of sports coaching and any serious coach wishing to develop and extend their own coaching practice.

There is widespread agreement that schools should contribute to the moral development and character formation of their students. In fact, 80% of US states currently have mandates regarding character education. However, the pervasiveness of the support for moral and character education masks a high degree of controversy surrounding its meaning and methods. The purpose of this handbook is to supplant the prevalent ideological rhetoric of the field with a comprehensive, research-oriented volume that both describes the extensive changes that have occurred over the last fifteen years and points forward to the future. Now in its second edition, this book includes the latest applications of developmental and cognitive psychology to moral and character education from preschool to college settings, and much more.

This edition presents practical, field-tested ideas for teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) through physical activity in schools and other settings. Includes guidance in teaching affective and social moral goals, an in-depth look into teaching character development and values, and a method for helping students develop personal and social responsibility.

In this groundbreaking book, nationally recognized leaders in education and psychology examine the relationships between social-emotional education and school success—specifically focusing on interventions that enhance student learning. Offering scientific evidence and practical examples, this volume points out the many benefits of social emotional learning programs, including: building skills linked to cognitive development, encouraging student focus and motivation, improving relationships between students and teachers, creating school-family partnerships to help students achieve, and increasing student confidence and success.

In Reclaiming the Game, William Bowen and Sarah Levin disentangle the admissions and academic experiences of recruited athletes, walk-on athletes, and other students. In a field overwhelmed by reliance on anecdotes, the factual findings are striking--and sobering. Anyone seriously concerned about higher education will find it hard to wish away the evidence that athletic recruitment is problematic even at those schools that do not offer athletic scholarships. Thanks to an expansion of the College and Beyond database that resulted in the highly influential studies The Shape of the River and The Game of Life, the authors are able to analyze in great detail the backgrounds, academic qualifications, and college outcomes of athletes and their classmates at thirty-three academically selective colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships. They show that recruited athletes at these schools are as much as four times more likely to gain admission than are other applicants with similar academic credentials. The data also demonstrate that the typical recruit is substantially more likely to end up in the bottom third of the college class than is either the typical walk-on or the student who does not play college sports. Even more troubling is the dramatic evidence that recruited athletes "underperform:" they do even less well academically than predicted by their test scores and high school grades. Over the last four decades, the athletic-academic divide on elite campuses has widened substantially. This book examines the forces that have been driving this process and presents concrete proposals for reform. At its core, Reclaiming the Game is an argument for re-establishing athletics as a means of fulfilling--instead of undermining--the educational missions of our colleges and universities.