The Nature of Sports Coach Development in China: What Are We Trying to Achieve?

Abstract

Coach education and continuing career development have become a significant focus of global discussion within the sport domain. Current mainstream strategies for developing and assessing coaches in most countries, including China, are based on competency-based systems. However, there are many shortcomings of this system, especially when considering the varied practical challenges and needs of coaches and athletes; in short, such an approach does not facilitate enough adaptability. The purpose of this article is to critically review the literature, exploring both competence- and expertise-based coach development systems and their implications for coaching practice in China. First, we introduce and discuss the competency-based approach, including its strengths and weaknesses and how this applies within the Chinese development system. Next, we introduce and evaluate an alternative, expertise-based development system characterized by adaptability and greater inclusiveness within the coaching domain, which is underpinned by a distinct set of cognitive decision-making skills from the coach’s perspective. In addition, we expand this discussion by explaining the implications of this approach for coach assessment and offer some future suggestions for research in this area.