Presented by: Ian Stone
Using a variety of contemporary sources, including letters and correspondence, books, relevant committee minutes, commentary, etc., this paper seeks to contribute to our understanding of coaching development in the first half of the twentieth century. Specifically, it seeks: (i) to identify the style and content of coaching provision in interwar period by a leading English coach, Alec Nelson; (ii) to understand Nelson¹s approach to coaching within the framework of contemporary influences, including state of knowledge, peer influences, class context, relevant power structures etc.; and (iii) to assess the effectiveness of Nelson as a coach, with reference to various performance perspectives. The latter issue will be explored through using (a) comparative data and (b) current understandings/metrics of excellence in coaching practice.
Article © Ian Stone
