An Exploration of Teachable Moments in University Sport

Abstract

Teachable moments (TMs) is a term that is used across various domains to refer to situations, occurrences, and/or events that present a potential opportunity to learn (Seals, 2018). TMs are recognized as important for educating others, as well as playing a role in professional and personal development. In sport contexts, TMs are a pathway for coaches to develop athletes (Hedlund, 1996). However, we do not fully understand what comprises TMs due to inconsistent usage of the term, and the paucity of sport-based, scholarly research on TMs. Much of our current understanding of TMs is based on studies from domains external to sport. This exploratory study aimed to (a) develop a broader conceptual understanding of how TMs occur between coaches and their athletes, and (b) explore university sports coaches’ perceptions of TMs with their athletes. In this study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a virtual TM recall document, whereby coaches logged events they perceived to be TMs with their athletes. Seven (7) university sports coaches completed an initial interview, while 5 of the 7 coaches completed between 4-8 recalls, as well as a second interview. A reflexive thematic analysis in combination with focused coding was applied, thus allowing us to develop a preliminary model of TMs in university sport contexts. In the first manuscript, titled ‘Teachable moments in university coaching: Exploring a coaching catchphrase,’we present our model, and outline the main qualities and conditions that support the occurrence of TMs. In the second manuscript, titled ‘Teachable moments: Practical examples from university sport,’ we elaborate on different forms of TMs that were developed in the findings, and provide concrete examples of TMs that coaches encountered in their day-to-day coaching practices. Throughout both manuscripts, we build our understanding of what comprises TMs in sport and discuss the implications for coaching practices and athlete development.