American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Issue: September 2010

Communities of Coaches: The  Missing Link
  Steven C. Barnson

Abstract: Interscholastic  coaches have unique needs relative to how they learn their practice and  progress toward higher levels of professional comfort and competence. The  purpose of this article is to review the professional development needs of  interscholastic coaches and suggest the use of social-learning techniques,  specifically communities of practice, as an appropriate educational tool for  addressing some of the distinctive learning issues related to interscholastic  coaching. Despite the progress seen in coaching science and in what  interscholastic coaches are taught, an important element in the educational  processes of interscholastic coaches seems to remain elusive—namely, community.

Article category: Coaching