Towards the Application of Feminist-Informed Pedagogical Principles into Coaching Practice

Authors: Adams, A., Hunter, A. and Gennings, E.

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781003253990

Abstract:

This chapter develops a feminist-informed pedagogy via three personal narratives (one from each author), to explore concerns arising at the intersection of gender and football coaching practice. First, we draw on our narratives to stimulate coaches’ own reflections on their practice and bring feminist and masculinities theory to life through interpretations of our personal experiences. Next, we contextualise our stories by tracing hegemonic patterns of masculinity in football coaching and borrow from existing scholarship to outline a feminist-informed pedagogy. This framework departs from dominant masculine models of leadership and coaching and has value for coaches in a variety of ways: re-thinking power and authority in coaching; challenging competitive individualism; creating communal environments; respecting and increasing diversity, and; providing life-changing learning through social action opportunities. We conclude with some thoughts around how such an approach may be taken-up by football coaches to meaningfully inform more ethical, inclusive and sustainable football coaching methodologies. Implications for coaching practice are threaded through the work, and relate to interpersonal coaching interactions, practice design and the organisational structure of football coaching settings. We begin with our three author narratives.

Source: Manual