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The purpose of this study was to explore the manner in which Australian National Rugby League (NRL) referees developed their craft. Craftmanship represents an enduring, basic human impulse, related to the desire to do a job well for its own sake (Sennett, R. (2008). Prologue: Man as his own maker. In R. Sennett (Ed.), "The craftsman" (pp. 1-15). Yale University Press). Specifically, in this study craftsmanship related to the specialist trade knowledge, work ethics and attributes, motor skills, cognitive processes, pre-match routines, workplace affordances, attention to detail, and dispositional qualities contributing to elite rugby league refereeing performance. Data generation included semi-structured interviews with current NRL referees (n = 8), NRL referee coaches (n = 2), NRL referee advisor/administrator (n = 1), and an immediately retired NRL referee (n = 1); game observations; direct involvement from the lead author in work meetings and game review processes, as well as casual workplace conversations over the immersion period. In addition, each participant completed a survey related to ranking sources of learning they believed contributed to the development of their craft. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically along with the field notes generated through game observations and the immersion period. Findings highlighted how referees used combinations of specialist trade knowledge such as game management, game understanding, context, trusted peer support, and knowledge of rules, in conjunction with their own experiences and desire to learn, to shape and develop their work. Overall, this reinforces the idea that workplace affordances, an individual's personal agency, and the interrelationships between them, are crucial components for understanding how referees develop their craft. Findings from this research might be generative for sport referees and those responsible for the recruitment, professional learning, and development of these key sport actors.

Purpose: Mental fatigue causes decreases in aspects of athletes' performance. Elite coaches commonly undertake cognitively demanding tasks and are seemingly at similar risk of subsequent performance impairment. However, elite sport coaches' experiences of mental fatigue, alongside other markers of psychobiological stress, have yet to be quantified. Methods: Three elite coaching and performance staff (2 women and 1 man) provided 100-mm visual analog scale ratings of mental fatigue, physical fatigue, readiness to perform, and salivary samples for later cortisol (sCort) and alpha-amylase (sAA) analysis. Data were obtained on the same morning each week across a 16-week preseason. Data were subset by individual coach for descriptive and repeated-measures correlational analyses. Results: Fluctuating mental fatigue was observed over the 16 weeks (min–max; coach 1 = 25–86 AU; coach 2 = 0–51 AU; and coach 3 = 15 − 76 AU). Elevated levels of mental fatigue were reported at multiple time points, with individual variability observed. sCort (in nanomoles per liter), sAA (in micromoles per liter), and sAA:sCort indicated that coaches experienced psychophysiological stress (min–max; coach 1 sCort = 8.42–17.31, sAA = 52.40–113.06, sAA:sCort = 3.20–12.80; coach 2 sCort = 4.20–9.70, sAA = 158.80–307.20, sAA:sCort = 21.10–61.70; and coach 3 sCort = 6.81−19.66, sAA = 86.55–495.85, sAA:sCort = 4.90–35.50). A significant inverse relationship between mental fatigue and readiness to perform (r = −.44 [−.64 to −.17], P =.002) was identified. Conclusions: Elite sport coaches report elevated instances of mental fatigue during a preseason training period. Those involved in elite sports should act to understand the presence and potential subsequent impacts of staff mental fatigue and consider management or mitigation strategies. Optimization of the cognitive performance of coaches and performance staff presents as a potential source of competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the recruitment of foreign sport coaches being a relatively long-standing phenomenon, there is limited research examining the experiences of foreign coaches working in globalised high-performance sport contexts. In examining how foreign coaches learn to perform their craft, we draw upon Billett's [2006. 'Relational Interdependence Between Social and Individual Agency in Work and Working Life.' Mind, Culture, and Activity 13 (1): 53-69. doi:10.1207/s15327884mca1301_5] notion of relational interdependence, which embraces a work-based approach to understanding how migrant coaches learn. Specifically, this lens enables a broad consideration of the interdependent relationship between the foreign coach's agency and the affordances of the host workplace. Method: A single case (embedded) research design was chosen through the purposeful sampling of a sport organisation. The case focused on the learning of Chinese migrant coaches employed within an Australian high-performance coaching workplace (henceforth referred to as the National Sport Organisation; NSO) and involved data collection from three foreign coaches, four athletes, and four administrators employed by the NSO. Through a multiple data collection method (i.e. 1 year of observation, 20 interviews, 1 focus group, and related document collection), information was collected regarding the coaches' practices and learning. A theoretical thematic analysis guided the data analytic procedure with the assistance of MindNode software. Results and discussion: Several major themes were identified in relation to Chinese coaches' learning and practices in the NSO. Overall, Chinese coaches met work requirements through substantial personal learning including aspects related to language (i.e. English), the development of culturally appropriate coaching practices, and enhancement of athletes' training approach. Conclusion: The findings of this research might be generative for foreign coaches and those responsible for the recruitment, professional learning, and development of such coaches. The notion of relational interdependence was an appropriate theoretical lens for research related to the learning of foreign high-performance sport coaches.

Taking our lead from Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet," this project represents our attempt to stimulate dialogue between 30 physical education and sport pedagogy (PESP) early career academics (ECAs) and 11 PESP professors. First, the ECAs were invited to write a narrative around their experiences as PESP ECAs. Second, a narrative analysis was undertaken and three composite ECA letters were constructed. Third, these letters were shared with the professoriate, who were each invited to write a letter of response. Finally, six of the professors participated in a symposium, which focused on the letters. The professors' letters and the transcripts of the symposium constitute the dataset for this paper. While the larger project engages with ECA voices this paper focuses on how the professors construct the university and PESP and the implications of these constructions for how they advise and mentor ECAs. Theoretically, we recruit the work of Pierre Bourdieu, and nascent ideas about mentoring, to challenge our interpretive complacency, and help us think in generative ways about the data. Our analysis engages with three broad themes: constructions of the university; constructions of PESP; and constructions of self. Findings suggest that while much of the professorial advice might be interpreted as targeted towards the development of more accomplished neoliberal subjects, there was some evidence of a more radical, collegial mentoring of sorts, through advice that foregrounded strategies of resistance.

Of issue in this paper are the ways in which different forms of narrative may be of value in undertaking research in potentially thorny situations. The project that inspired this paper saw 30 Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy (PESP) Early Career Academics (ECAs) from more than 20 universities across Australasia, North America and Europe, provide narrative accounts of their ongoing academic experiences. From these stories, three letters seeking advice and guidance from leaders in the field were constructed. Following further feedback from the ECAs, the 3 letters were sent to 11 professors in the PESP field with a request to respond, also in letter form. The composite letters and the professorial responses were then the subject of a symposium at an international PESP conference. While the larger project engages with questions of being and becoming an academic in the neoliberal university, this paper is primarily concerned with methodological issues, including our steps and missteps with narrative, inquiry and the field. More specifically, the focus is on narrative as both the method and phenomena of study. As such, we consider issues associated with using dialogue as data, the provocation of participants, as well as both the presentation and representation of data and the relative power of the participants. In doing so, we critically engage with issues of anonymity (or lack thereof), the practice of "researching up" and finally reach the conclusion that the careful approach to data generation, treatment and presentation necessitated by this project, should be a more regular feature of all qualitative inquiry.

Background and purpose: This paper attempts to move the discussion of high-performance coach development from an examination of coaches' volume of experiences towards a consideration of the contribution of the learning experiences that coaches have reported throughout their careers. Furthermore, a discussion of proximal and distal guidance in the development of coaches was investigated. We examined the kinds of learning experiences within the framework of workplace learning and specifically the situated nature of learning and the view that learning occurs through social participation. Method: Nineteen high-performance coaches participated in this study, including 10 scholarship and 9 mentor coaches (MCs). Participants rated a list of 14 developmental activities derived from empirical research on a seven-point Likert scale (0 = not used, 1 = of little value, to 7 = extremely valuable). Each participant coach rated the 14 (guided, unguided) activities in the first two years of their coaching career, middle two years, and final two years. To analyse the data and identify the key trends for both the scholarship and MCs we examined statistical differences between scores for each of the sources the non-parametric Friedman test was used (p < 0.01). Significant ?(superscript 2) results were followed up with the Wilcoxon (two-tailed) T-test (p < 0.05) to identify statistically significant differences between scores at different time intervals. Results: Three key findings emerged from these data: (i) reported increased valuing of a range of developmental experiences over time; (ii) temporal variance in the value of different learning sources at different stages of their careers; and (iii) an acknowledgement of the shift away from an emphasis on proximal learning sources for the MC and the shift towards proximal sources for the scholarship coach.

Background and purpose: This paper focuses on the learning culture within the high-performance levels of rowing. In doing so, we explore the case of an individual's learning as he moves across athletic, coaching and administrative functions. This exploration draws on a cultural learning framework and complementary theorisings related to reflexivity. Method: This study makes use of an intellectually, morally and collaboratively challenging approach whereby one member of the research team was also the sole participant of this study. The participant's career as a high-performance athlete, coach and administrator, coupled with his experience in conducting empirical research presented a rare opportunity to engage in collaborative research (involving degrees of insider and outsider status for each of the research team). We acknowledge that others have looked to combine roles of coach/athlete/administrator with that of researcher; however, few (if any) have attempted to combine them all in one project. Moreover, coupled with the approach to reflexivity adopted in this study and the authorship contributions, we consider this scholarly direction uncommon. Data comprised recorded research conversations, a subsequently constructed learning narrative, reflections on the narrative, a stimulated reflective piece from the participant and the final (re)construction of the participant's story. Accordingly, data were integrated through an iterative process of thematic analysis. Results: The cultural (i.e. the ways things get done) and structural (e.g. the rules and regulations) properties of high-performance rowing were found to shape the opportunities both to be present (e.g. secure a place in the crew) and to learn (e.g. learn the skills required to perform at the Olympic level). However, the individual's personal properties were brought to bear on reshaping the constraints such that many limitations could be overcome. In keeping with the theory of learning cultures, the culture of rowing was found to position individuals (a coxswain in this case) differentially. In a similar manner, a range of structural features were found to be important in shaping the cultural and personal elements in performance contexts. Finally, the cultural and structural elements in rowing appeared to be activated by the participant's personal elements, most notably his orientation towards quality performance. Conclusion: The participant in this study was found to be driven by the project that he cares about most and at each turn he has bent his understanding of his sport back on itself to see if he can find opportunities to learn and subsequently explore ways to improve performance. The story here emphasises the importance of learner agency, and this is an aspect that has often been missing in recent theorising about learning. In this study, we find an agent using his "personal emergent powers" to activate the resources in the culture and structure of his sport in an attempt to improve performance. We conclude from this account that this particular high-performance rowing culture is one that provided support but nonetheless encouraged those involved, to "figure things out" for themselves--be it as athletes, coaches and/or administrators.

Background and Purpose: Given the turbulent and highly contested environment in which professional coaches work, a prime concern to coach developers is how coaches learn their craft. Understanding the learning and development of senior coaches (SCs) and assistant coaches (ACs) in the Australian Football League (AFL--the peak organisation for Australian Rules Football) is important to better develop the next generation of performance coaches. Hence the focus of this research was to examine the learning of SC and AC in the AFL. Fundamental to this research was an understanding that the AFL and each club within the league be regarded as learning organisations and workplaces with their own learning cultures where learning takes place. The purpose of this paper was to examine the learning culture for AFL coaches. Method: Five SCs, 6 ACs, and 5 administrators (4 of whom were former coaches) at 11 of the 16 AFL clubs were recruited for the research project. First, demographic data were collected for each participant (e.g. age, playing and coaching experience, development and coach development activities). Second, all participants were involved in one semi-structured interview of between 45 and 90 minutes duration. An interpretative (hierarchical content) analysis of the interview data was conducted to identify key emergent themes. Results: Learning was central to AFL coaches becoming a SC. Nevertheless, coaches reported a sense of isolation and a lack of support in developing their craft within their particular learning culture. These coaches developed a unique "dynamic social network" (DSN) that involved episodic contact with a number of respected confidantes often from diverse fields (used here in the Bourdieuian sense) in developing their coaching craft. Although there were some opportunities in their workplace, much of their learning was unmediated by others, underscoring the importance of their agentic engagement in limited workplace affordances. Conclusion: The variety of people accessed for the purposes of learning (often beyond the immediate workplace) and the long time taken to establish networks of supporters meant that a new way of describing the social networks of AFL coaches was needed; DSN. However, despite the acknowledged utility of learning from others, all coaches reported some sense of isolation in their learning. The sense of isolation brought about by professional volatility in high-performance Australian Football offers an alternative view on Hodkinson, Biesta and James' attempt in overcoming dualisms in learning.

The proportion of Aboriginal peoples in a variety of Australian sports are at a much higher levels than their proportion of the overall population in Australia. Given the relative absence of Aboriginal parents in discussions of parenting, and the strong involvement of Aboriginal peoples in sport, the experiences of Aboriginal parents within Junior Rugby League (JRL) were explored in this study. The aim was to consider the key factors impacting the behaviours and emotional reactions of parents with a view to supporting parents in JRL settings. Participants were parents of JRL players (aged 8 to 16 years) in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. As part of a large-scale online survey (N = 1418), 117 Aboriginal parents reported their demographic background, spectator behaviour and emotions, sport-related beliefs and attitudes, child behaviour, parenting, and personal wellbeing. Analyses comparing Aboriginal parents to remaining sample of non-Aboriginal parents revealed that Aboriginal parents identified more highly with rugby league and had a greater investment in the sport than their non-Aboriginal parenting peers. The findings allow further explorations in relation to aspects of connection and kinship, and we argue that JRL may be positioned as a potentially generative site of support for Aboriginal parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development of high performance sports coaches has been proposed as a major imperative in the professionalization of sports coaching. Accordingly, an increasing body of research is beginning to address the question of how coaches learn. While this is important work, an understanding of how coaches learn must be underpinned by an understanding of what coaches do. This is not to suggest a return to the behaviouristic accounts of coaching, rather a greater consideration of what tasks entail modern coaching work, especially within the dynamic and evolving vocation of high performance coaching. Purpose: In order to add greater texture to accounts characterising high performance coaching as a highly complex collection of practices, this paper will consider the tasks that full-time coaches at a State Institute of Sport (SIS) perform in their work, with a follow-up account of how they felt they learned (or did not learn) the requisite skills and abilities. Participants and setting: Six full-time, high performance sports coaches (average age = 42 years; range = 30-54 years) with an average of 23 years coaching experience (range = 10-34 years) participated in this study. Six sport administrators varying in level of responsibility and authority also participated. All participants were drawn from an Australian state (provincial) academy/institute of sport. Data collection: Participation was open to all coaches and administrators within the SIS with six coaches and six administrators volunteering prior to commencement. All participants were involved in semi-structured interviews aimed at examining the work of SIS coaches and the perceived sources of learning that coaches accessed throughout their careers. The interviews took an average of 82 minutes to complete (range = 60-110 minutes). Data analysis: The interviews were transcribed verbatim, checked for accuracy and returned to the participants for member checking. An interpretative analysis of the interview data was carried out following procedures outlined by Cote and colleagues. The construction of meaning units was enhanced through the use of a decision-making heuristic developed by Cote and Salmela. Findings: SIS coaches were required to perform a great number of tasks ranging from those relating to direct coaching to those associated with public relations behaviours. Coaches and administrators were also able to identify a range of sources of learning prior to, and during their employment with the SIS. Based on a comparison of work tasks and learning experiences, it was determined that SIS coaches were not well prepared to complete a variety of tasks required of them in the SIS environment. Conclusions: Through an analysis of their previous athletic and coaching experiences it is proposed that the coaches were well-prepared to undertake the tasks that were deemed to be central to their coaching work but were less equipped to undertake a range of other tasks required of them when they were first employed at the SIS. (Contains 2 figures.)

The Australian coaching workplace (to be referred to as the State Institute of Sport; SIS) under consideration in this study employs significant numbers of full-time performance sport coaches and can be accurately characterized as a genuine workplace. Through a consideration of the interaction between what the workplace (SIS) affords the individual and the agency of the individual SIS coaches, it is possible to gain an understanding how high performance sport coaches learn in the workplace. Analysis of data collected by means of semi-structured interviews with a group of coaches (n = 6) and administrators (n = 6), revealed that coaches learned through a variety of sources both within and outside of (but often influenced by) the SIS. In addition, there were a range of factors such as the working climate and the physical environment that were reported to have an impact on the learning of the coaches (structure). In keeping with Billett's (2006) theorizing, aspects of the individuals' agency (e.g. passion for the sport, drive to be the best) were also found to be critical to the learning in the workplace.

Officials are undeniably key figures in high performance sport, providing some order and regulation within complex and generally unpredictable sport contests. Despite their importance and centrality, a largely incomplete picture exists of their pressurized and complex work. Specifically, the limited existing research has tended to be framed by the 'seen but not heard' view of officialdom whereby they are considered to be rather benign rule-appliers. The result has been a somewhat valuable, yet largely narrow and constrained research agenda that often 'misses the mark' by emphasising largely decontextualized accounts of fitness, decision-making, and stress. The purpose of this deliberatively polemic paper is to stimulate debate about the important concepts in high-performance officiating, including how they learn their craft. In doing so, we propose that officiating is a complex and fundamentally human activity that demands authentic investigations considering the vital reciprocity between the official, their environment, and their dynamic role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Australian analysis of global sporting megatrends has noted the rise in prominence of action sports. Over the past few decades, action sports have continued to evolve and fragment. Changes in the high-performance sector have been particularly evident through the highly visible inclusion of action sports such as BMX, snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding and sports climbing in the Olympic Games. However, while there has been a swift rise in the prominence and position of action sports globally, relatively little is known about the impact of the shifting formalization and professionalization of these sports and their participants. Focussing on the Australian context, this article seeks to capture and critique the professional development of coaches and athletes, while drawing on examples from BMX, surfing and skateboarding. Further, implications of funding, research and new media technologies on the knowledge, expertise and credentials of elite action sports participants are discussed. Findings of the systematic analysis suggest that there are differing opportunities for professionalization of action sports both nationally and internationally, with the subsequent recommendation being that sporting organizations join forces to support the advancement of athletes and coaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented which discusses various papers published within the issue, including one early career academics' (ECA) on the joys, challenges and ambitions associated with being and becoming academics, one on how professors construct the university and physical education and sport pedagogy (PESP), and another on the experience of a critical scholar in a neoliberal context.