A Case Study Exploring Coaching Practice and Coaching Perspectives at One Soccer (Football) Club

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which three local club football (Soccer) coaches were aligning their practice with the Football Federation Australia (FFA) curriculum and if they are aware of and incorporating the Game Sense coaching methods advocated by the Australian Sports Commission through the Playing for Life Philosophy. There is currently a lack of research in the sport of Soccer and how the Game Sense coaching approach has been received and understood in Australian Soccer coaching. Further, the degree of alignment club coaches have with the FFA curriculum has only been investigated once, and that was in Sydney. Therefore, little is known about the implementation of the FFA curriculum in community coaching settings.  This study found the three coaches to have good understanding of the mechanics of the FFA curriculum, and support for the use of small-sided games as a preferred practice form. The coaches had no understanding of the process of shaping and focussing player game development using the player-centred inquiry focus of the Game Sense approach.