From elite athlete to elite coach

Since the Rugby Football Union deinstitutionalised amateurism in 1995, professionalism has been fully embraced by all of the major sports in the UK. Consequently, professionalisation has shaped the responsibilities of elite rugby union, rugby league and association football managers. Such individuals are now culpable to an enhanced diligence in respect to ‘off-field’ affairs as well as ‘on-field’ performances. However, a disparity between the job expectancies and the recruitment process for such a role is intensifying. A preference for directly ‘fast-tracking’ elite athletes upon retirement, over to elite managerial roles has continued to be a regular phenomena and directly contradicts the notions of professionalisation for all facets of elite sport. Using the work of Bourdieu, this study explores the reasons for why habitus and symbolic capital attained from athletic performance are foreseen to be transferable into the application of becoming an effective ‘on-field’ and ‘off-field’ manager. The use of a grounded theory research methodology has led to the definition of several key areas requiring further scrutiny. Justification for the collection of empirical data will be provided by elaborating on prior research that attempts to define effective managers. The discussion will show that existing research has focused on surveying data gathered from managers themselves or athletes under their supervision. The paper therefore proposes directions for further empirical study, especially the perceptions of the employers of professional managers whose voices have yet to be heard