International virtual sport coaching exchange: A mechanism for exploring pre-professional coaches’ interests and issues

Abstract

The purpose of this practice paper is to share our experiences of, and reflections on, facilitating an international virtual exchange for pre-professional sport coaches, in a higher education context. Between January and May 2024, for 12 weeks, 21 coaches from both Leeds Beckett University (UK) and James Madison (USA) participated in a pilot project to supplement an internship experience which they were engaged in as part of their coursework. Using Flip, a video-based discussion app from Microsoft, coaches were encouraged to share and explore their problems of professional practice with others as they emerged. By doing this, we hoped that coaches would contribute to each-others’ framing and developing understanding of authentic and meaningful coaching issues, begin to form networks of support, become increasingly independent learners, and develop a more global outlook. From our position as internship architects and facilitators, we hypothesised that with a greater appreciation of coaches’ issues and interests we could more meaningfully offer timely and bespoke support. As we reflect on this novel project, we deliberate over the practical value of some of the underpinning ideas, limitations to supporting pre-professional coaches in this way, and future directions.