The Scientific Coach - Idrottsforskning i tränares vardag
CoachTrainingScientistSport ScienceScience disseminationTränareTräningForskareIdrottsforskningForskningsspridning
Previous research has established coaches' important role in developing elite athletes (Durand, Bush, Thomson & Salmela 1996). Athlete enhancement and assisting athletes achieve ?peak performance? has been a major objective for elite coaches as well as sports scientists (Williams & Kendall, 2007) Despite this common goal, research also question whether sports scientists and the research they pursue really effects coaches knowledge and constitute a foundation for today and tomorrows athletic performances (Bishop 2008). This study examined elite coaches? needs and use of sport science research as well as the interaction between elite coaches and sport scientists. Following interviews of ten elite coaches, content analysis revealed that sport science is both a formal and informal resource of knowledge for coaches. Development of athletes is seen as the main objective of research retrieval and personal and/or direct contact with the sport scientist is considered to be the best way to assemble. Sport science research effects coaches daily work both directly and indirectly and coaches? educational standards seem to be the key for successful research implementation. A successful interaction consists of decreasing the physical distance, mutual responsibility for contact seeking, commonly enunciation of relevant research issues and usage of different uniting links.