Trends and Issues that are Changing Sport and Physical Education: Social Scientific Perspectives

• Introduktion/Introduction In line with the conference theme of ‘Trends and issues that are changing sport and physical education: Social scientific perspectives’, this thematic session focuses on a trend in sports coaching – scientisation and technologisation of training. Syfte & teoretisk ram/Aim and theoretical framework The aim of this thematic session is to critically consider how the scientisation and technologisation of training affects athletes, athlete learning and coaches, and through this, consider needs for coaching research and coach education. Metod/Method The session brings together three presentations. First, Daniel Svensson historicises the scientisation of training in Sweden. Second, Tor Söderström explores what elite athletes think about physiological tests and how useful they find them to be. Third, Natalie Barker-Ruchti presents data of training science developments at one academic institution. In conclusion of the session, recommendations for research and education are presented. Resultat/Results Physiological knowledge influences Swedish athletes’ training since the 1940s. With the establishment of national sports high schools in 1971, Sweden has created an infrastructure for scientific tests and methods at the (sub-)elite level of sport. In recent years, sport science has continued to develop technologies to test athletes (e.g., match analysis, movement analysis, genetic testing) and at present, these tests experience a boom. Sports organisations, coaches, coaching students, athletes, and parents are increasingly eager to learn about and adopt its tests. Such tests, however, predominantly serve as checkpoints or single indicator of fitness, and thus for most athletes, have little or no importance with respect to how they evaluate and plan their training. Diskussion och slutsatser/Discussion and conclusions Physiological tests and scientifically based training methods are today mainstream. Coaches who do not understand or employ such methods may be sidelined as ‘old school’. The application of physiological tests and performance analysis methods has, however, a number of perils. First, the history of scientisation demonstrates that not all athletes and coaches accept scientific knowledge, and instead favor experiential methods. This dilemma between old and new risks creating conflict between stakeholders. Second, ethical questions problematise the appropriateness of testing young athletes. The argument here is that performance and genetic testing violates the child athlete’s right to an open sport experience and future. Third, the scientisation and its recent technological advancements have received very little critical scientific reflection. The objectification of athletes, testing as control mechanisms, and the lack of athlete learning in response, represent key concerns. Fourth, researchers from training science disciplines and coaching have spent little time discussing the integration of training science and coaching pedagogy. Coach education programs thus continue to cover its sciences individually, which may make it difficult for coaches to understand how they can implement training science in pedagogical ways. Our recommendations for training and coaching researchers, and education providers are to (a) consider and understand the perils of physiological tests and scientifically based training methods, and experiential coaching respectively; (b) seek discussion to develop training science pedagogy; and (c) develop coach education materials to prepare coaches to use training science to benefit athlete performance and education.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Historia (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- History (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Idrottsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Sport and Fitness Sciences (hsv//eng)

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