Professional Development: Sports Coaching
MSc

Modules

• Academic Introduction to Professional Development Core (Non-Degree Entrance Students)

Academic Introduction to Professional Development (Core (Non-Degree Entrance Students))

This summer programme of learning is designed to support all of our non-degree entrance students, to familiarise yourself with core academic and research skills.

This is designed to be delivered fortnightly through our online platform and will give an insight into both the academic skills required but also some introductory content to the first semester modules delivered in tandem between the learning development team and the academic staff from the degree programme.

This module is optional for any traditional students.

• Contemporary Approaches to Player Development Core

Contemporary Approaches to Player Development (Core)

This module will draw upon different models and theories to synthesise in relation to experiences as practitioners. The module will draw upon different domains of coaching specific to player development and the main disciplinary perspectives (behavioural, cognitive, social) to help make sense of the individuals coaching contexts and to develop knowledge and understanding of coaching for player development.

Credits: 20

• Strategic Leadership in High Performance Core

Strategic Leadership in High Performance (Core)

The module is designed to develop both a critical understanding and application of sports management and directorship theories, approaches and tools to professional settings. The module will consider the contemporary approaches to leadership and change management within their professional setting and how these may be applied in their own roles. This module will consider leadership of self, teams and the wider organisations goals and resources. It will consider coaching, mentoring and leadership dynamics in complex contexts. It will also consider strategic decision making, process design and examination or modern business trends.

Credits: 20

• Professional Development and Mentoring Core

Professional Development and Mentoring (Core)

The module will aim to support those coaches who are currently working in, or wish to work in, coach education and development roles within sport. The module will afford students the opportunity to think critically and deeply about how they can support and develop other coaches most effectively. Students will be introduced to, and encouraged to draw upon, theories and concepts from over 40 years of related research, in order to undertake an authentic and meaningful coach education and development project.  For this reason, students enrolling on the module should have access to one or more coaches to work with, over a 12-week period.

Credits: 20

• Independent Project Core

Independent Project (Core)

This module, concerned with the coach and their coaching practice, intends to support coaches in undertaking novel and meaningful research in underserved or overlooked areas of the sports coaching and coach development landscape. The module will embody a Popperian philosophy, by encouraging coaches to problematise their coaching practice, identify tentative solutions (through becoming familiar with the research literature) and then to test and adjust those in the field (using a well-reasoned research philosophy and methodology). For these reasons, the module represents a coach-focused approach to ‘research methods’ which intends to take coaches on an authentic, collaborative and learning-oriented journey toward research project completion. 

Credits: 60

• Sport Psychology Core

Sport Psychology (Core )

This module is designed to support L7 students develop their understanding of key concepts within sport psychology and their application in a professional coaching context. The module will consist of a one-hour lecture per week followed by a two-hour seminar. Students will conduct three assignments that will focus on progressing the student to applying theory to practice.

Credits: XX

• Cultural Challenges in Sports Coaching Core

Cultural Challenges in Sports Coaching (Core)

During this module students will investigate how values, beliefs and behaviours become normalised within coaching cultures. Using key social theories students will have an opportunity to examine a combination of both fictitious and reality based coaching cultures. By doing so students will become better equipped to identify and understand key aspects within their own coaching cultures enabling them to navigate the social and political dilemmas they face in their professional lives.

Credits: XX

• Athletic Development Core

Athletic Development (Core)

This module will analyse theories underpinning long-term athlete development and examine the psycho-social factors affecting performance. This module will examine the scientific principles behind effective training, injury prevention and loading and development of key fitness and recovery protocols.

Credits: X