Exploring a Methodology of Coaching of Embodied Skills: Why should Coaches be Practitioners of Embodied Meta-cognition?

Abstract

Athletes often have lack of ability to think and feel in a meta-cognitive manner that would be crucial for learning embodied skills in sports. This paper provides discussions on how athletes should learn and how coaches could and should support them. These are conjectures obtained from the first author's experience of working as an athletic trainer in a professional baseball team in Japan. Athletes should be able to improve capability of self-awareness of own body through internal observation. Coaches, in designing a supportive environment for athletes' learning, should take advantage of always being a practitioner to keep up with the reality of somesthesis.