The purpose of this doctoral dissertation was twofold: (a) to explore how communities of practice (CoPs) can be designed, implemented, assessed, and sustained in sport settings, and (b) to examine the value that is created by participating in a community of practice using Wenger, Trayner, and De Laat’s (2011) value creation framework. Two studies were conducted. In Study One, a sport coach CoP was collaboratively designed, implemented, and assessed in a youth soccer organisation. Data generation included two individual interviews with each co-researcher, observations from CoP gatherings, and communications via an online discussion platform. Findings indicated that the co-researchers created value within each of the five cycles of value creation outlined in Wenger and colleagues’ framework. The co-researchers created value that was personally relevant to their coaching needs, which led to an increase in perceived coaching abilities. The co-researchers also gained new perspectives, such as the importance of social learning, and a broader view of athlete development. Study Two examined the value that was created in five CoPs nested in the university sport setting and how they were sustained. One interview was conducted with each participant (10 coaches and two administrators). The findings revealed that the coaches created value in each of the five cycles of the value creation framework. They learned a variety of strategies, some of which they implemented in their coaching practice. As a result, the coaches noticed an improvement in their coaching abilities and their athletes’ outcomes. The coaches also gained new perspectives, and reframed their views concerning their personal development and that of their athletes. For example, the coaches realised the importance of focusing on their own well-being. They also realised the importance of learning through social interactions, and developed a broader view of athlete development. The findings from both Study One and Study Two illustrate that CoPs in sport settings are practical and pragmatic, and that they have a positive impact on coaches’ development and on their coaching practices.

Despite growing interest in coaching sciences, literature has revealed a dearth of research on coaches who work with para athletes (e. g. Cregan, Bloom, & Reid, 2007; McMaster, Culver, & Werthner, 2012). The purpose of this study was to explore how novice coaches in parasport develop their knowledge. The study was conducted in real-time during the coaches’ first contact with the context. Semi-structured interviews and participant observation were conducted with six Canadian para sailing coaches. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) revealed that coaches developed context-specific knowledge and skills through a blend of formal, nonformal, and informal learning situations. The participants highlighted the importance of learning from others, especially other coaches and from athletes.

Collaborative action was undertaken in response to the continued criticisms of formal coach education. It is strongly felt that we can no longer merely criticise what is not happening in terms of coach learning, but a key requirement now is to demonstrate other options. In the UK up to 80% of coaches are volunteers who reach out to around eight million people involved in sport. This valuable workforce is largely forgotten and the bureaucratic structures which oversee formal coach education are merely concerned with quotas and income generation. A fundamental problem with formal coach education is the way in which learning is decontextualized and a knowledge deficit remains. Coaching is multifarious and complex and we need to consider better ways in terms of how we prepare people for this. The Coach Learning and Development (CLAD) programme was devised and implemented in October 2013 to May 2014 at a community rugby club in Wiltshire. Over this 8 month period a range of strategies for coach learning were integrated into CLAD to evidence methods which benefitted the transition of knowledge(s). The theoretical endeavours of Basil Bernstein are introduced to SCR for the first time, particularly the ‘pedagogical device’ to understand, theorise and develop insight into the type of educational contexts that can better support the learning of volunteer coaches. Findings suggest that CLAD as collaborative action learning was successful in transforming coaches to engage with more positive and contemporary forms of coaching pedagogy. Namely ‘game based pedagogies’ argued to be theoretically underpinned by the ‘constraints based approach’. Empirical insights are given in the hope that this can spur further methodological enquiries that move beyond the mere criticism of coach education. SCR needs research endeavours that shift beyond the ‘bricolage’ where knowledge is transferred into the real world to influence real change. Therefore, the findings also draw on the pivotal features of CLAD to not only support more value laden research commitments, but to inform policy developments and practice that can re-configure more successful outcomes for coach education and coaches.

Although coaching has become a popular area for research, little is known about coaches of athletes with a disability (Cregan et al., 2007; DePauw & Gavron, 1991, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore how disability sport coaches learnt to coach and, more specifically, how they learnt through interactions. Recent disability sport research has revealed that coaches work with their athletes to enhance their learning (Cregan et al., 2007; O’Neill & Richardson, 2008); as such, athletes also participated in this study. Data collection included 20 semi-structured interviews and 14 non-participant observation sessions with five coach-athlete dyads. A thematic analysis was conducted (Braun & Clarke, 2006), which revealed that coaches from various backgrounds commonly learnt through informal learning situations, most frequently through interactions with others. It is suggested that organizations nurture these informal situations and offer more disability-specific nonformal and formal situations to enhance coaches’ learning opportunities.

Although coaching has become a popular area for research, little is known about coaches of athletes with a disability (Cregan et al., 2007; DePauw & Gavron, 1991, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore how disability sport coaches learnt to coach and, more specifically, how they learnt through interactions. Recent disability sport research has revealed that coaches work with their athletes to enhance their learning (Cregan et al., 2007; O’Neill & Richardson, 2008); as such, athletes also participated in this study. Data collection included 20 semi-structured interviews and 14 non-participant observation sessions with five coach-athlete dyads. A thematic analysis was conducted (Braun & Clarke, 2006), which revealed that coaches from various backgrounds commonly learnt through informal learning situations, most frequently through interactions with others. It is suggested that organizations nurture these informal situations and offer more disability-specific nonformal and formal situations to enhance coaches’ learning opportunities.

Although coaching has become a popular area for research, little is known about coaches of athletes with a disability (Cregan et al., 2007; DePauw & Gavron, 1991, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore how disability sport coaches learnt to coach and, more specifically, how they learnt through interactions. Recent disability sport research has revealed that coaches work with their athletes to enhance their learning (Cregan et al., 2007; O’Neill & Richardson, 2008); as such, athletes also participated in this study. Data collection included 20 semi-structured interviews and 14 non-participant observation sessions with five coach-athlete dyads. A thematic analysis was conducted (Braun & Clarke, 2006), which revealed that coaches from various backgrounds commonly learnt through informal learning situations, most frequently through interactions with others. It is suggested that organizations nurture these informal situations and offer more disability-specific nonformal and formal situations to enhance coaches’ learning opportunities.

Although coaching has become a popular area for research, little is known about coaches of athletes with a disability (Cregan et al., 2007; DePauw & Gavron, 1991, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore how disability sport coaches learnt to coach and, more specifically, how they learnt through interactions. Recent disability sport research has revealed that coaches work with their athletes to enhance their learning (Cregan et al., 2007; O’Neill & Richardson, 2008); as such, athletes also participated in this study. Data collection included 20 semi-structured interviews and 14 non-participant observation sessions with five coach-athlete dyads. A thematic analysis was conducted (Braun & Clarke, 2006), which revealed that coaches from various backgrounds commonly learnt through informal learning situations, most frequently through interactions with others. It is suggested that organizations nurture these informal situations and offer more disability-specific nonformal and formal situations to enhance coaches’ learning opportunities.

Coaching knowledge is an essential resource for improving competition quality. The purpose of this study was to explore the needs and wants of elite coaches from the African and small island regions of the Commonwealth at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Specifically, their development of coaching knowledge and their context was analyzed to understand their needs and wants. Using a knowledge management framework, 19 semi-structured interviews identified the process of combining knowledge as predominant in the development of coaching knowledge within these regions. Tacit knowledge was developed through their social environment, mentorship, and athletic or coaching experience. The need for formal knowledge development opportunities and basic coaching resources were also identified. Finally, technology helped to reduce challenges around accessibility to knowledge, and coach certification programs helped with the transition from athlete to coach.

Parkour is a sport with a focus on overcoming obstacles. Parkour practitioners utilise specialised techniques relating to movements such as running, jumping, vaulting, climbing, swinging, rolling, and occasionally acrobatic manoeuvres in order to traverse a path through urban and rural environments. Parkour is a new sport, and as it continues to grow in popularity, there is an accompanying demand for parkour instructors. As a result, programmes to train parkour coaches have been created in various parts of the world. There has been minimal scholarly research conducted regarding parkour, and much of the current parkour research focuses either on parkour athletes, or the perceptions of parkour by non-parkour athletes. No research was discovered regarding parkour coaches. This exploratory study aimed to: (a) explore how parkour coaches learn to coach; and (b) explore the perceptions held by parkour coaches regarding parkour coach education programmes. In the first article, titled ‘How Parkour Coaches Learn to Coach: Coaches’ Sources of Learning in an Unregulated Sport’, participants’ responses related to the themes of: parkour coaching experience, previous leadership experience, experience as an athlete in parkour and other sports, other parkour coaches, non-parkour coaches, parkour coach education programmes, school, reflection, and the Internet. The second article, titled ‘What Does It Mean to be a Certified Parkour Coach? Parkour Coach Perceptions of Formal Coach Education Programmes’, shared participants’ perceptions of formal parkour coach education programmes, including: potential benefits and risks to participation in such programmes, modifications that could be made to the programmes, and parkour coach perceptions of coach education programmes for other sports.

Competitive youth sport does not occur in a vacuum, and societal changes impact coaches' practices. Researchers have called for a paradigm shift for coaches to become more socially responsible and adopt a critical praxis. The purpose of this dissertation was to advance our current understanding of critical praxis development within competitive youth sport, through narrative introspections into coaches' learning journeys. Anchored in cultural sport psychology research, this dissertation was guided by a relativist ontology, a social constructionist epistemology, and narrative inquiry methodology. The critical positive youth development framework (Gonzalez et al., 2020) was used to explore coaches' critical praxes and critical consciousness development in sport. In Article 1, I explored coaches' challenges and successes in creating safer and more inclusive sport spaces. The coaches felt responsible for enacting change in sport while questioning when it was okay to intervene, feeling burnt out, and finding success with their critical actions. Composite creative nonfictions were developed to reflect the individual and shared experiences in developing their critical praxes as coaches. The coaches shared a desire for in-situ support for unpacking their biases and understanding complicated social issues in sport. In Article 2, a 15-month collaboration is detailed, whereby I acted as a personal learning coach to support a competitive Nordic ski coach's (Sophie) critical praxis as they reflected on social issues and acted to enact positive change in their sport context and community. As suggested by Rodrigue and Trudel (2019), my role as a personal learning coach was guided by the narrative-collaborative coaching approach (Stelter, 2014) to focus on Sophie's narratives and co-create knowledge. From working together during two competitive seasons, Sophie's learning journey is presented through time hopping snapshot vignettes as they figured out what to fight for, grew through discomforts and unknowns, and experienced progress in their critical consciousness-building. An autoethnographic account is presented in Article 3 to detail how I 'ran with' becoming a personal learning coach for two competitive youth sport coaches, Sophie and Zoe. Through reflexive, evocative, and analytical writing, three salient experiences are presented, including how I used my 'full' biography to be(come) a personal learning coach, focused on the intricacies of relationality, and learned how to understand my limits as a researcher-participant acting as a personal learning coach. The complexities involved in co-learning between researchers and coaches are narratively explored. Collectively, this dissertation contributes to cultural sport psychology research with the use of the critical positive youth development framework and the narrative-collaborative coaching approach to explore coaches' varying levels of critical consciousness. Through creative analytical practices, narratives are shared of coaches' who are working to create safer, more inclusive competitive sport spaces. Researchers, sport leaders, and coaches are all responsible for looking inwards, challenging biases and assumptions, and advocating for a transformed competitive youth sport system that is safer and more inclusive for all.