Speakers
Description
Strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches have accreditation pathways in coach education that mainly develop their understanding of biophysical-technological competencies. Due to a lack of sociocultural awareness, Szedlak and colleagues (2022) identified a disregard of hegemonic norms in S&C, that led to discriminatory behaviours going unnoticed and tolerated. The purpose of this ongoing participatory action research study was to identify whether sociocultural issues are taught and, if not, how they could be included in the United Kingdom’s Strength and Conditioning Association’s (UKSCA) coach education curriculum. Twenty-six stakeholders from the UKSCA engaged in either focus groups or individual one-on-one interviews where they discussed their knowledge, beliefs, and possible actions for the education of S&C coaches with regards to sociocultural issues. We completed a thematic analysis that outlines three sequential themes. The stakeholders have little knowledge of how sociocultural issues are enacted or relevant in S&C settings, such as the weight room. Stakeholders’ beliefs about elite sport culture led to a division about whether the UKSCA should be held accountable for teaching S&C coaches how to address sociocultural issues. Nonetheless, actionable suggestions were discussed, particularly the creation of a new UKSCA module on sociocultural issues for S&C coaches. Despite limited knowledge and a reluctance to teach such issues, the stakeholders were open to engaging with us on the topic and their suggestions provide important, novel, and practical ideas for the development of sociocultural knowledge and practices for S&C coaches that could address ongoing discriminatory behaviours.
