A research performed by Alun Hardman, Carwyn Jones, and Robyn Jones was based on 2 linked grounds. The first ground argued that the moral aspects of sport were intrinsic rather than reliant on the rules applied in it. It upholds the attributes of playing that do not hurt the opponents since they are done fairly and morally. The second base for this research was that coaches had vital roles of regulating as well as instilling the moral attributes to the playing practices. Therefore, the coaches facilitate the establishment of morality to all activities being performed by the parties being trained. In these regards, the purpose of this research was to urge that the coaching practices must impact trainees positively and prevent the occurrence of bad and immoral incidences.
The study hypothesized that coaching should be perceived as an enterprise that instills moral characters to participants. It should be perceived as a tool of moral and ethical principle, which does not only form appropriate characters for sporting, but also for a good life.
In facilitating the intentions of the study, the researchers set three objectives. First, they were to assess the kind of person the coach should be. Secondly, it was considered how a coach should behave and act. The last objective was dedicated on deliberating the purpose of a coach. In order to achieve these objectives, the researchers drew from philosophical perspectives to clarify the ethical dimensions and the implicit attributes of the coaches. However, a quantified study and reviews performed while searching for the information is not stated in the article. They raised 3 normative questions and recommended several impacts of the coaching which were supported by discussions and critical analysis. The questions were:
- What should be the characters of the coach be?
- How should a coach act?
- What should be the reason of coaching?
This research found that a coach is a person who directs his or her progress consciously and morally. The characteristics of the coaches can be described as reliable, caring, committed, and conscientious practitioners who offer adequate time and energy into their coaching work. In this regard, they retire and realize their part in sport while they are not hired or employed. This raises the question on how coaches behave. A coach has a task to develop ways of understanding and facilitating the process of moral learning. This increases the awareness of the challenging situations that sportspersons face. In this light, the alertness develops the desire to treat moral deliberations in sportspersons seriously. The coaches’ ultimate value is the inculcation of virtues and the enhancement of moral character through sport and also improving tactical knowledge and technical skills. Coaches should be able to establish a playing environment with the utmost goal of achieving excellence in sports.
It is quite clear that coaches have a role in the enhancement of moral development. However, it is also important to note that morality requires integrated efforts not only from the coaches, but also from the players. Good behaviors are made through reflection results in shaping the characters of trainees. Excellence is achieved when the mutual dependencies among those who are interested in sports are availed.
This article is pertinent to my topic of study because it provides information on making coaching a career of boosting ethical virtues. It allows the trainees to play fairly and guides them against political and socio-cultural obstacles. Furthermore, the study identifies the significances of sport coaching that is relevant in my topic of interest.
Reference
Hardman, A., Jones, C., & Jones, R. (2010). Sports Coaching, Virtue Ethics and Emulation. Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy, 15(4), 345-359.