In recent years, sport and physical cultural studies scholars have drawn upon the post-structural social theory of Michel Foucault (Markula & Pringle, 2006) to understand and critique sporting bodies, gender, and coaching. Foucault’s theorizing argues that power is not inherently oppressive, but rather productive (i.e., power produces reality). This theoretical insight offers the potential to understand how women coaches develop their knowledge and practices within complex power-knowledge relations.
The purpose of this research study was to understand how women collegiate S&C coaches developed, and subsequently used, their coaching knowledge and practices.
Method: This study used a qualitative research design, and purposeful and snowball sampling to solicit participants. (Patton, 2002). Interviews, approximately 30-120 minutes in length, were conducted with 15 collegiate S&C coaches. Two of the women self-identified as African-American, 13 as Caucasian. Participants ages ranged from (21-48) and positions varied (i.e., intern, graduate assistant, assistant, and head).
Analysis/Results: A preliminary analysis indicated that the majority of coaches developed their knowledge from similar clusters of formal, informal, and non-formal sources. Most of the coaches had degrees in exercise science or a related field, possessed certifications from the NSCA and were CPR certified. Nearly all of the coaches started their careers as an intern or graduate assistant before obtaining a full-time, assistant position. The coaches talked about the importance of mentors, who was almost always a man. Subsequently, these coaches implemented “normal” coaching practices based on a bio-scientific view of the body to control athletes and increase performance.
Conclusions: Based on existing research, it appears that male and female coaches develop similar knowledge and practices; probably a result of available learning sources and common certifications required to coach. Stakeholders may want to consider employing women S&C coaches as they appear to learn and enact accepted practices. A concern remains that women coaches’ understanding of S&C coaching is based on a bio-scientific view of the body, and they expressed few to no negative effects of these practices.