Navigating the globalization of sports coaching : case ice hockey
Bespomoshchnov, Vladislav (2023)
2023
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023102027780
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023102027780
Tiivistelmä
Purpose: The success of Finnish ice hockey teams on the international arena has been fuelling
the demand for coaches and players from this country worldwide. Yet, despite the increasing
trends of migration of the workforce in sports, there is limited research that is conducted on the ex periences of foreign coaches. Thus, this study aims to expand our understanding of the work of
high-performance coaches in the globalised sports context to offer pragmatic insights to inform the
work of transnational coaches, coach developers, and sports administrators.
Theoretical background: The project has utilised an ecological lens of understanding the inter linked nature of the relationship between person and environment. The context of coaching has a
substantial impact on the perceived effectiveness of the coach and requires the practitioner to be
aware of the needs and demands of the stakeholders. When a coach is exposed to a new culture,
the acculturation is evident in the adaptation of the practices and personality of the individual that
are then expressed in the development of cultural competence and intercultural effectiveness.
Similarly, new inhabitants are likely to alter and reshape the environment around them.
Method: A case study design was adopted. The participants were 14 Finnish high-performance
head coaches with transnational career experiences across 11 nations. Qualitative data was col lected via semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis guided this work to generate
themes through deductive and inductive reasoning.
Results and Discussion: The major themes that have been identified from the qualitative data
were centered around preparation practices, acculturation, and emerging learning experiences.
Specifically, preparation was studied through the lenses of an outsider (when you can’t physically
be there) and an insider (worked or lived in the environment before). Acculturation experiences
shed light on how coaches managed power structures, new challenges that the sports context has
presented, and reflection on personal evolution. Lastly, coaches offered practical strategies for col leagues to consider when working abroad.
Conclusion: The findings were in line with the existing literature on the work of transnational
sports practitioners where acculturation occurs for both parties – the host environment and the
newly arriving member (coach). The personal agency of coaches and communication skills were
recognized as crucial components for the development of cultural competence. The findings could
be utilised by coach developers when preparing practitioners to work in new cultural settings, club
administrators to further inform their decisions when recruiting and working with foreign coaches, and sports governing bodies to develop policies to support coaches’ acculturation in the new country.
the demand for coaches and players from this country worldwide. Yet, despite the increasing
trends of migration of the workforce in sports, there is limited research that is conducted on the ex periences of foreign coaches. Thus, this study aims to expand our understanding of the work of
high-performance coaches in the globalised sports context to offer pragmatic insights to inform the
work of transnational coaches, coach developers, and sports administrators.
Theoretical background: The project has utilised an ecological lens of understanding the inter linked nature of the relationship between person and environment. The context of coaching has a
substantial impact on the perceived effectiveness of the coach and requires the practitioner to be
aware of the needs and demands of the stakeholders. When a coach is exposed to a new culture,
the acculturation is evident in the adaptation of the practices and personality of the individual that
are then expressed in the development of cultural competence and intercultural effectiveness.
Similarly, new inhabitants are likely to alter and reshape the environment around them.
Method: A case study design was adopted. The participants were 14 Finnish high-performance
head coaches with transnational career experiences across 11 nations. Qualitative data was col lected via semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis guided this work to generate
themes through deductive and inductive reasoning.
Results and Discussion: The major themes that have been identified from the qualitative data
were centered around preparation practices, acculturation, and emerging learning experiences.
Specifically, preparation was studied through the lenses of an outsider (when you can’t physically
be there) and an insider (worked or lived in the environment before). Acculturation experiences
shed light on how coaches managed power structures, new challenges that the sports context has
presented, and reflection on personal evolution. Lastly, coaches offered practical strategies for col leagues to consider when working abroad.
Conclusion: The findings were in line with the existing literature on the work of transnational
sports practitioners where acculturation occurs for both parties – the host environment and the
newly arriving member (coach). The personal agency of coaches and communication skills were
recognized as crucial components for the development of cultural competence. The findings could
be utilised by coach developers when preparing practitioners to work in new cultural settings, club
administrators to further inform their decisions when recruiting and working with foreign coaches, and sports governing bodies to develop policies to support coaches’ acculturation in the new country.