Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal Volume 3 | Page 38

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 3 Theme 3: A web of care Interestingly, theme 3 demonstrates that this dialogue does not always need to be provided by the coach. Other individuals in the club have also provided care to these players at times during their careers. For example: I see the girls more than I do my family. I really enjoy it…I love going and seeing all the girls, even the manager. We all get on and it’s like our own little family. Sounds cringe, but it’s true. Conclusions, recommendations and future work This study of early career women footballers demonstrated how coaches’ care can have a positive impact on athletes’ experiences. Through the lens of the participant, care can be both supportive and challenging, but nonetheless involves attention as evidenced through appropriate dialogue, consent and an empathetic concern for players. Unfortunately, participants also reported uncaring acts which were characterised by a lack of dialogue, disinterest in the athlete as an individual, and a selfish concern for the coach’s own interests. Such findings are consistent with Noddings (2013) work, in schools which aspired for a caring climate, with a feeling of warmth, support and stability. Noddings argued that such climates can be developed when powerful individuals (eg coaches or popular athletes in a sporting context), model and reward caring behaviours. Based on this, Fry and Gano-Overway (2017) measured caring climates in sporting environments and found that behaviours such as listening, supporting and empowering can develop caring climates. Consistent with this, one participant described how a coach led to such a climate: Coaches should take action by considering how they care and enact dialogue (eg Do they use text appropriately? Do they show concern?). Coaches may also consider how caring behaviours are exhibited and valued (eg How do they reinforce caring behaviours?). For coaching researchers, the study of women’s football is an interesting starting point for gathering the perceptions of athletes in the UK. Further and broader studies are required to ensure that coaches and coaching are informed by the experiences of athletes. Such studies are necessary to move beyond a minimum standard approach to duty of care. Because I was so far away from home, I was so lucky to have a physio, support team and coach like them, they were my first go to with anything. The girls are like my sisters. I’ve got their back and they’ve got mine. 38 Her (the coach) caring for us is probably what’s made us so tight knit as a group. We want to go out and graft together because we are as close as a family. Without her caring for us, we probably wouldn’t even have any of that to be honest.