Integrating Sport and Exercise Science in Sport Coaching : Perceptions and Practices

This study aims to investigate the significance of sport and exercise science knowledge in the context of sport coaching and explore which aspects of sport and exercise science knowledge are deemed most crucial by sport coaches. Additionally, the study seeks to understand how sport and exercise science knowledge is utilized in practical coaching settings.<br/> Purposeful sampling was employed to select participants, including sport coaches from a wide array of sport at the high school and college levels within the New York State. A total of 26 participants were interviewed through individual semi-structured interviews. Grounded Theory approach was used to analyze and code the collected interview data.<br/> Through the open and axial analysis of the coaches’ perceptions and application of sport and exercise science in sport coaching, three main themes emerged: 1) Perceived importance of sport and exercise science subdomains, 2) Practical application and integration of sport and exercise science knowledge, and 3) Challenges of applying sport and exercise science knowledge.<br/> The findings highlight the importance of sport and exercise science knowledge in sport coaching, emphasizing its role in personalized training planning, and injury prevention, while noting challenges in applying these principles. Addressing these challenges is crucial for enhancing coaching and athlete performance, indicating a need for more research.