Coaching Profession: Acting as a Coach

Through the adoption of a dramaturgical perspective, this chapter positions coaching as being somewhat akin to a theatrical social performance. From this standpoint, coaching work entails much more than the routine application of pre-packaged knowledge and methods. It also requires coaches to carefully consider (and reflect upon) their interactions with others, inclusive of how they manage and display various emotions within the coaching environment ((Cassidy, T., Jones, R., & Potrac, P., Understanding sports coaching: The social, cultural and pedagogical foundations of coaching practice. Routledge, London, 2016); (Nelson, L., Potrac, P., Gilbourne, D., Allanson, A., Gale, L., & Marshall, P., Sociology of Sport Journal 19:19-40, 2014)). In terms of its structure, the chapter begins by introducing the notion of dramaturgy. This background material is followed by an overview of the classic dramaturgical writings of Erving Goffman and Arlie Russell Hochschild. Here, we highlight some essential features of their respective theorising that can stimulate critical reflection upon the dramaturgical aspects of coaching ((Cassidy, T., Jones, R., & Potrac, P., Understanding sports coaching: The social, cultural and pedagogical foundations of coaching practice. Routledge, London, 2016)). After the theoretical backdrop is presented, the focus then shifts to reviewing the (limited) available literature addressing how coaches engage in various acts of impression and emotion management to achieve their goals. In concluding the chapter, the main arguments are summarised and a number of ‘key points’ that coaches (and coach educators) may wish to critically reflect upon are presented.