Multi-dimensional assessment of soccer coaching course effectiveness

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Coaching Education

Background:

• Coach education programs aim to develop skilled coaches.
• Assessing the effectiveness of coach education requires understanding the alignment between intended learning outcomes and actual delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the stated aims of soccer coaching course providers and the events that occurred during course delivery.
• To evaluate the efficacy of performance-analysis methods for assessing instructor performance in coach education settings.

Main Methods:

• A case analysis approach was utilized, integrating multiple data sources.
• Data collection involved hand notation, computer event logging, video analysis, participant questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis.
• Two soccer coaching accreditation courses were studied using these methods.

Main Results:

• Video analysis indicated discrepancies between the intended aims of the courses and the actual events observed during delivery.
• Participant questionnaires revealed positive perceptions regarding the quality of course content and delivery.
• Performance analysis techniques were assessed for their utility in documenting instructional events.

Conclusions:

• There is a notable difference between the intended goals and the practical execution in soccer coach education.
• Performance analysis tools can be effectively employed to log instructional events and assess coach education delivery.
• Further research should explore strategies to bridge the gap between intent and practice in coach education.