Adventure Sports Coaching

Adventure Sports Coaching was the first book to link contemporary sports coaching science with adventure sports practice and examine the unique set of challenges faced by adventure sports coaches, such as the dynamic natural environment and the requirement to train athletes to levels of high performance outside of traditional structures of competition, and explore both key theory and best practice. This new and fully updated edition reflects the increased wealth of empirical work and practical guidance in areas such as technology, techniques and risk management developed over the last ten years. The book covers major topics such as - Skill acquisition and skill development - Models of learning and teaching - Performance analysis - Tactics and decision making - Training principles - Mental skills techniques - Goal setting and progression - Risk management Each chapter contains applied examples from a range of adventure sports, including mountaineering, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, surfing and winter sport, as well as practical coaching techniques and a guide to further reading. Written by a team of authors with wide experience in coaching, teaching, researching and high-performance participation in adventure sports, this book is invaluable reading for any student or practitioner with an interest in adventure, outdoor education, sports coaching or lifestyle sport.

Matt Berry, MA (Ed), is a senior lecturer at the University of Chichester, teaching on adventure education and physical education programmes. Matt is an active adventure sports coach in a variety of sports, with a specialist interest in white water kayaking. Chris Hodgson, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the University of Chichester, teaching on adventure education and physical education programmes. Chris is qualified as a coach in skiing, paddle sport, mountaineering and windsurfing. His area of research interest is human performance and environmental stress. Jane Lomax, PhD, is a BASES Accredited Sports Science support worker in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Pedagogy. She is a UKCC Level 3 Netball coach, and her Netball coaching experience includes England and British University, National Talent League, Superleague A/C, Performance development and grassroots levels and UK Armed Forces.

1. Re-conceptualising the adventure sports coach. 2. Understanding the role of pedagogy in adventure sports coaching. 3. Observing and analysing performance in adventure sports. 4. Theories of motor learning and their implications for the adventure sports coach. 5. Setting the scene: A framework for coaching practice in adventure sports. 6. Exploring the coaching toolbox in adventure sports. 7. Coaching the advanced performer. 8. Planning for progression. 9. Tactics: The missing link in performance. 10. Training principles for adventure sports. 11. Risk management. 12. Professionalism and the adventure sports coach.