Rethinking and rewriting approaches to sports coaching: How can anti-racist pedagogies enhance sports participation and opportunities?

Abstract (English)

Although sports such as soccer are a well-recognised sites for anti-racist politics, the practice of the coach has received little scrutiny despite their influence, particularly on the many children who play coach-led sports. This paper therefore examines findings from a research project that sought to apply the principles of anti-racist practice into the field of sport coaching to facilitate more equitable environments in youth sport. I will draw on empirical findings informed by anti-racist practice to sport coaching, drawn from semi-structured interviews with 35 football coaches, observations of sport coaching practice, and exploratory peer-to-peer interviews with boys from professional English football academies. An anti-racist coaching (ARC) model of practice was developed including six core principles: 1) Be culturally self-aware and self-reflective; 2) Build culturally competent relationships; 3) Adapt practice to meet cultural needs; 4) Develop anti-racist consciousness among players; 5) Create and sustain an ARC environment; 6) Be an ARC ‘influencer’ / ally. If coaches holistically adopt these ARC practices, they will help rewrite pedagogies in support of the decolonial shift. The ARC model applies to different contexts beyond sports coaching and we will consider ways that it can be applied in the disciplines of anthropology. This model has the potential to generate significant impact in how we teach and learn and in doing so, it has the capacity to help rewrite pedagogic approaches within multifarious contexts.