Analysis of sport coaching research published in South Africa (2006–2016): A systematic review

Abstract

This study analysed published research on sport coaching in South Africa. A systematic review was conducted using the African Journals Online and Sabinet online databases to identify sport coaching studies published from 2006 to 2016, with 42 papers meeting the inclusion criteria. Findings based on the themes that emerged from the analysis indicated that 45.2% of the studies were conducted on coaches’ thoughts, followed by career development (31%) and behaviour (23.8%). Compared to other categories stemming from these themes, coaching effectiveness, coach education/training and coaches’ perceptions were the most frequently researched areas. In contrast to individual sports, soccer, rugby, and cricket were the most studied team sports. These results provide practical implications for coach and athlete development and highlight the need for sport coaching research, especially in areas that have been neglected within the South African context.

Keywords: Sport, review, coach education, research, profession