Research Projects on the MSc Applied Sports Coaching
It is one of the highlights of the year – the dissertations have been submitted from the MSc Applied Sports Coaching cohorts.
From traditional research studies to action research projects focused on personal development, we once again see a rich range of projects undertaken. Here are some example projects completed this year:
| A major challenge when coaching team sports is to balance the focus on overall team and individual player development (aka Player Development Coaching (PDC)). In this project, interviews with coaches who had a reputation for developing individuals within a team context and an 8 week intervention with club coaches were used to better understand what PDC is and how a coach can use it most effectively. | Sustained effective coaching is rarely the result of an individual coach acting in isolation, but the development of a community that interacts to create a rich environment for developing players. Within this project, the coach conducted a detailed audit of the practices within a range of teams within their club, identifying opportunities for positive feedback and areas for development. |
| Quite a few graduates of the MSc in Applied Sports Coaching have gone on to roles in coach development. In this project, coaches who attended and coach developers who delivered on the Athletics Ireland Level 2 Coaching Course were interviewed and recommendations for the enhancement of the coach were developed. | Self-Study is a method of research that has only recently been applied to sports coaching. The coach is both the researcher and the subject of the research, documenting their efforts to enhance their coaching practice and learning about themselves – their underpinning beliefs and motivations – along the way to enhancing the experience of the athletes they support. |
Writing a research project is often a novel step for many coaches on the programme. This is especially true considering that typically half of the cohort are coming in via Recognition of Prior Learning; that is, they do not have an undergraduate degree in a related discipline, but rather are drawing upon their abundance of learning from their previous coaching experiences. If the idea of writing as a means of improving your coaching makes you pause, have a read of how the coaches on the programme describe the process:
“I found that I learned a lot about my coaching in the last couple of weeks typing, because you know, you get time to reflect on everything and it’s a very interesting process. I actually found you’re learning within the writing”
“How nice it is to feel change occur and see the development. Would I have noticed this change if I wasn’t doing the MSc project? Or would I have been so rigorous and held the mirror up to myself so closely, particularly when it was uncomfortable if I wasn’t doing it as part of a formal University course? Forcing myself to write, reflect, talk with peers and mentors, and use Personal Development Plan and action I vital in enabling these changes. I had been reading about it for years but didn’t change my behaviour.”
As an applied programme, it is particularly pleasing to read coaches describe how:
“The main findings will undoubtedly inform and positively influence my coaching practice in the new training season and have already translated successfully into my role as coach developer in training”
Where can I read more about the programme?
A course overview is available here, or you can take a look at #MScAppliedSportsCoachingUL where you will find insights such as exemplar pre-course activities and examples of the type of research we will be engaging with. You can also explore these FAQs.
The student perspective:
What is the deadline for applications?
The deadline for late applications for the September 2024 start is July 29th, subject to places remaining on the programme.
If you are interested in the programme or require further information please contact:
Dr Philip Kearney PhD
Course Director – MSc Applied Sports Coaching
Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences
University of Limerick
Limerick.
Ireland Tel: 00-353-61202844
Email: ASC@ul.ie
Dr Phil Kearney is the Course Director of the MSc Applied Sports Coaching within the PESS Department here at the University of Limerick. View Phil’s profile: https://www.ul.ie/pess/iframe-staff/dr-philip-kearney
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