Youth coaches’ pedagogical positions in football, swimming and cross-country skiing
Facts
- Contact person:
- Torun Mattsson
- Financer:
-
- Centrum för idrottsforskning
- Responsible at MaU:
- Torun Mattsson
- Project members at MaU:
- Time frame:
- 01 January 2026 - 31 December 2026
- Faculty/department:
- Research environment :
- Research subject:
- Website:
- Centrum för idrottsforskning
Project description
The aim of this research project is to critically explore and problematize the pedagogical positions adopted by coaches in children’s and youth sport, with a particular focus on football, cross-country skiing, and swimming. What values and meanings can be identified when coaches design and implement training programmes for children and adolescents? What pedagogical discourses emerge in different training situations?
The project addresses an urgent gap in sport pedagogy research by critically examining the pedagogical dimensions of coaching. Its originality lies in combining discourse analysis with cross-sport comparison, and in situating coaching within broader social and cultural contexts. By integrating gender perspectives, it highlights disparities in participation and leadership.
The findings will generate new theoretical insights while providing practical guidance for coach education, supporting sustainable, inclusive, and child-centered sporting environments. In this way, the project contributes both to academic knowledge and to the development of Swedish sport, strengthening the dual mission of social development and athletic performance.