Elite coaches consider aspects of sports science when preparing athletes for
competition. Sports scientists conduct applied research and a fundamental purpose of
sports science research is to produce knowledge that helps improve the performance of
elite athletes. In view of the considerable resources being directed toward research and
coaching at the elite level, there is a need to conduct research to identify the relationship
between research and coaching practice at the elite level.
Australia has an institute of sport or academy of sport in each state and territory
dedicated to the development of team and individual sports, both Olympic and non-
Olympic. In the area of elite athlete performance, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)
has gained an international reputation for excellence, and the AIS Research Centre has
achieved international recognition for the quality of research projects directed toward
the performance of elite athletes. Sports scientists at Australian universities also
undertake research related to elite coaching, some of which has occurred in partnership
with researchers at Australian institutes of sport.
The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between sports science
research at Australian institutes of sport and post-graduate sports science research in
Australian universities, and how elite coaches in Australia perceive sports science
research practice meeting the needs of elite coaching.
A case study method was selected for this thesis, which involved the following data
gathering instruments: a survey of 225 elite coaches and 125 sports science researchers,
follow-up interviews of elite coaches and sports science researchers, and document
analysis of 725 research projects conducted at Australian institutes of sport and postgraduate
theses at Master and Doctoral level at Australian universities. An analysis was
also conducted to assess the sports science content contained in the National Coaching
Accreditation Scheme's Level Three course material. A schedule was developed for the
document analysis called the "Williams Sports Science Research Schedule". Interviews
were conducted with elite key informants to validate a model that was developed fiom
the study.
Results of the study revealed a degree of congruence between the perceptions of elite
coaches and sports science researchers regarding the research needs of elite coaches and
the research activity of sports science researchers. A model, called the "Elite Sports
Research Model" was developed to describe that relationship. The Elite Sports Research
Model contains four components, namely: coach knowledge, information seeking/dissemination strategies, qualities valued in an elite coach and a sports science
researcher, and application of research. Within the model, particular perspectives of
elite coaches and particular perspectives of sports science researchers were identified.
Some differences were found between elite coaches of team sports and elite coaches of
individual sports, as well as some differences between researchers at institutes of sports
and researchers at universities. At the elite level in Australia a relationship was found
between sports science research activity and the research needs of elite coaches.
With the increase in support for elite coaching and sports science research in Australia
and internationally, the results of this study should help to inform improvement in
sports science research programs that support elite coaching practice.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218739 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Williams, Stephen John, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Health Sciences |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Stephen John Williams |
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