A Thematic Model of Effective Coaching Skills Training for Sports Coaches: Toward Athlete Well-Being and Sustainable Sport Governance
Keywords:
Coach education; effective coaching skills; thematic analysis; athlete well-being; sport governance; professional developmentAbstract
Coach education is often viewed mainly as a technical process, although the everyday work of sports coaches also requires interpersonal communication, emotional regulation, ethical judgment, technological adaptation, and organizational navigation, all of which influence athlete well-being and the quality of sport governance. This qualitative study aimed to develop a thematic model of effective coaching skills training for sports coaches in Tehran Province, with attention to athlete well-being and governance-oriented coach development. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, including active sports coaches, sport education and sport management specialists, and academic experts in coach development, who were selected through purposive and snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. The data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis, including familiarisation, initial coding, theme searching, theme review, theme definition and naming, and final reporting. The analysis generated eight interrelated themes: specialist and scientific coaching knowledge, communication and interpersonal skills, leadership and team-management competencies, emotional intelligence and self-regulation, experiential learning and reflection, career-path management and professional development, technology and innovative educational approaches, and contextual, cultural, and organizational factors. These themes formed a dynamic model in which coaching effectiveness is not limited to technical instruction but is understood as a situated professional capacity that supports athlete learning, safety, motivation, social development, and psychologically safer sport environments. The findings suggest that sustainable coach education should be competency-based, continuous, reflective, technology-aware, culturally responsive, and supported by sport organizations, and that coach education policy should move beyond short technical courses toward longitudinal systems that develop the professional, interpersonal, intrapersonal, ethical, and contextual capacities of coaches.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hoora Heybatzadeh, Mahdi Naderi Nasab, Seyyed Abbas Biniaz (Author)
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