Analysis of sport science perceptions and needs among South African coaches : evolving a strategic model for coach education

D.Phil. (Sport Science)Abstract: Despite several studies being carried out on bridging the knowledge gap between sport science and coaching in other countries, there is a dearth of such information in the South African context. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate perceived sport science needs among South African coaches and examine strategies that can be used to prioritise sport science knowledge disseminated by sport scientists. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted in the current study. A total of 202 coaches volunteered to participate. The New Ideas for Coaches Questionnaire and the Sport Science Research Needs for Coaches Questionnaire were used to collect quantitative data. Document analysis was also used to review published research related to sport coaching within the South African context. Additionally, 10 coaches participated in semi-structured interviews. The participants were chosen on the basis that they had coached at a high-performance level for at least five years. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) were used to analyse the data. Inferential statistics methods such as t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were also used to examine the significant differences based on coaching experience and level of coaching, respectively. A level of significance was set at 0.05. All statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Thematic analysis was also employed to analyse the semi-structured interviews. Injury prevention and recovery, fitness/conditioning, individual skill development, training programmes, tactics/strategy, nutrition, mental training and preparation, sport technology and match analysis were identified as the most important needs of South African coaches. Coaches indicated that sport science research should be relevant and applicable, sport scientists should use non-technical language to disseminate their research findings, coaches should collaborate with sport scientists, and there is need for peer education between coaches and sport..