How do coaches orchestrate? The coaching practice of the elite gymnastics coaches in Brazil

• Grant number: 19/00296-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2019
• End date: August 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Sociology - Other specific Sociologies
• Principal Investigator: Myrian Nunomura
• Grantee: Myrian Nunomura
• Host Institution: Escola de Educação Física e Esporte de Ribeirão Preto (EEFERP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Kizzy Fernandes Antualpa ; Luis Mochizuki ; Mauricio dos Santos de Oliveira ; Michele Viviene Carbinatto ; Paulo Daniel Sabino Carrara

Abstract

The coaching practice in the elite sport has been particularly analyzed from the biological perspective and the outcome. However, Potrac et al. (2002) and Jones et al. (2004) visualize coaching beyond functionality and performance, i.e., as a social context with interconnected activities characterized by collaboration, dispute, and negotiation among those involved. Sports practice has always been questioned as a social construction (Jones & Ronglan, 2009, Ronglan, 2017) in which interactions, organization and sporting structure and implications for the health and well-being of participants would be the matter of discussion. The coach plays diverse roles and tasks in training and competition, negotiates and relates to people (athletes, parents, leaders, media, sponsors, etc.). Thus, coaching implies the management of ambiguities that occurs in the midst of chaos and, to support the coach, Jones & Wallace (2005, 2006) developed the metaphor of coaching as orchestration. Coaching as orchestration assumes that coaching is influenced by the view of the role of coach and expectations about coaching and the power relation among those involved, which impact on the training of athletes and their results. In Brazil, despite the Olympic podium in 2012 and 2016 in gymnastic sports, there are still challenges and criticisms about the management of this context and people, translated into authoritarianism, subordination and sometimes harassment and abuse. In addition, the aggravating factor is that most of the athletes are children and youth. The purpose of the study is to analyze how coaches orchestrate the context in gymnastic sports and make the decisions influenced by internal and external factors. It is hoped to reveal indicators for coaching that favours the development of athletes towards practices conducive to health and well-being. (AU)