
Case Studies in Sport Coaching and Development
Practice Meets Theory
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 22. January 2026
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-1-032-77990-4 (ISBN)
Description
Case Studies in Sport Coaching and Development: Practice Meets Theory is a new textbook that serves as a resource for coach developers and educators to generate dialogue about how to further integrate evidence into practice by supporting the development of critical thinking and reflection as it relates to the real problems of practice in sport coaching.
Grounded in a case study framework, this textbook incorporates rich descriptions of real events as an approach to exploring the problems of practice in coaching. It includes multiple approaches to problems that will be largely contextually specific and includes corresponding literature to allow for a deeper exploration of the connection between theory and practice. The seven sections explore key themes such as building environments, relationships among people involved in coaching, coaching philosophy, and long-term goals. Each chapter includes questions for further discussion.
Case Studies in Sport Coaching and Development is a key textbook for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of sport coaching, sport coaching development and education as well as practising sport coaches, coach developers and organisations.
Grounded in a case study framework, this textbook incorporates rich descriptions of real events as an approach to exploring the problems of practice in coaching. It includes multiple approaches to problems that will be largely contextually specific and includes corresponding literature to allow for a deeper exploration of the connection between theory and practice. The seven sections explore key themes such as building environments, relationships among people involved in coaching, coaching philosophy, and long-term goals. Each chapter includes questions for further discussion.
Case Studies in Sport Coaching and Development is a key textbook for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of sport coaching, sport coaching development and education as well as practising sport coaches, coach developers and organisations.
Reviews / Votes
"The practice-theory gap has for years been highlighted as one of the key issues in coaching research and coach development. Case Studies in Sport Coaching and Development takes on this issue head-on and provides researchers, students and practising coaches a broad range of real-life case studies underpinned by the latest research which will enhance their theoretical and practical knowledge."Sergio Lara-Bercial, Professor of Sport Coaching at Leeds Beckett University and Vice President, Strategy and Development, International Council for Coaching Excellence
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Academic, Postgraduate, Professional Practice & Development, and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
6 s/w Tabellen, 13 s/w Zeichnungen, 13 s/w Abbildungen
6 Tables, black and white; 13 Line drawings, black and white; 13 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
694 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-77990-4 (9781032779904)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Melissa Thompson | Christine Nash
Case Studies in Sport Coaching and Development
Practice Meets Theory
E-Book
01/2026
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download

Melissa Thompson | Christine Nash
Case Studies in Sport Coaching and Development
Practice Meets Theory
E-Book
01/2026
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download

Melissa Thompson | Christine Nash
Case Studies in Sport Coaching and Development
Practice Meets Theory
Book
approx. 01/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€65.60
Not yet published
Persons
Melissa Thompson, Ph.D. is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Southern Mississippi (USA) where she teaches courses in Sport Psychology and Sport Coaching. She is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology.
Christine Nash, PhD is a Professor at the University of Edinburgh where she currently leads the Applied Coaching Research Group, researching in coaching expertise. She was a national coach within the sport of swimming and currently works with a number of sporting organisations worldwide, e.g. ICCE, USCCE & ITF.
Christine Nash, PhD is a Professor at the University of Edinburgh where she currently leads the Applied Coaching Research Group, researching in coaching expertise. She was a national coach within the sport of swimming and currently works with a number of sporting organisations worldwide, e.g. ICCE, USCCE & ITF.
Content
Section 1: Setting the Vision and Strategy in Sport Coaching 1: Aligning Philosophy within a Hierarchy: Developing Assistant Coaches 2: Parental Roles, Racial Dynamics, and Coaching Volleyball in the US South Section 2: Shape the Environment 3: Building a Winning Youth Olympic Hockey Team - The Role of Strategic Player Selection and Coaching 4: Navigating Motivation with the Talented and Committed Athlete 5: Creating Inclusive Sport Environments Section 3: Building Relationships 6: Role Ambiguity and Work-Life Balance: The Real Pressures of Coaching 7: Micropolitics in Coaching 8: Supporting the Leadership Skills of Football Coaches to Meet the Demands of the Women's Professional Game. Section 4: Conducting Practices and Preparing for Competition 9: Complexity of Planning Long-Term Athlete Development in Brazilian Football: A System Thinking Approach 10: A Shift in Pedagogy: A Games-Based Approach to Football (Soccer) Training Section 5: Read and React to the Field 11: The Power of Unity: Team Dynamics in Judo 12: Calm Voice in the Chaos: Building a Long-Term Tactical Model for Scottish Hockey Section 6: Learn and Reflect 13: Small Actions, Big Implications: Ethics and Integrity in Sport Coaching 14: There Are No Easy Questions Because There Are No Easy Answers! Section 7: Cases in Coach Development 15: Fixing the Leaky Pipeline: Australian Women in High-Performance Coaching 16: Coach Development as Adventure and Exploration: One Coach's Account of Their Experiences in and the Possibilities of a Project-Led Approach to Learning 17: There's So Much Complexity, Can We Say Anything Definitively? Navigating Complexity in Coaching and Coach Development