Developmental Pathways of Youth Sport Coaches in Singapore

抄録

Sport coaches develop their coaching knowledge and identity as coaches through their life experiences over time. However, limited knowledge exists for what motivates youth coaches in Asia to coach, how they learn their craft, and how they develop as coaches. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the developmental pathways of youth sport coaches in Singapore. Eleven youth sport coaches in Singapore (10 males, 1 female) from a range of sports were selected to take part in semi-structured interviews consisting of three sections: coaches' profile, valued learning experience, and motivation. Qualitative thematic analysis was implemented to understand the key aspects of coach development in their coaching careers. Data yielded six main categories about valued learning experiences: (1) interaction with other coaches, (2) learning from overseas practice, (3) athletic experience, (4) on-the-job experience, (5) mentoring, and (6) coach education program. Two main categories about coach motivation were identified. These were: (1) initial motivation to be a coach—sense of purpose and (2) motivation to continue coaching—enjoyment, satisfaction, and passion.