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Coaches’ Experience Using Canada Basketball’s Athlete Development Model
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- Author / Creator
- Leong, Douglas
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Sport coaches in Canada wield significant influence over physical activity levels, which are crucial for lifelong development across all stages of life. In Canada, the Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity (LTDSPA) framework was developed to guide coaches; however, gaps persist in understanding its long-term effectiveness and application. The LTDSPA framework, aimed at promoting lifelong physical activity and achieving sporting excellence, has been adopted by 54 National Sport Organizations (NSOs) to meet Canada’s diverse sporting needs. Canadian coaches bear the responsibility of implementing the framework to shape and elevate all athletes. However, a review of the literature on the application and implementation of the LTDSPA in Canada revealed several gaps, including concerns about the framework’s long-term effectiveness, accessibility, and coaches’ resource needs.
Canada Basketball developed its version of the framework for basketball known as the Athlete Development Model (ADM), which serves as the focal point of this study. This leads to the research question: What has been the experience of coaches in incorporating Canada Basketball’s Athlete Development Model into their coaching practice in the Province of Alberta?
Interpretive inquiry informed by hermeneutics was employed in this study. A purposeful sample of six participants was interviewed using the “hermeneutic interview protocol” (Tine & Ellis, 2022) developed over a number of years in education graduate courses. Findings indicate that while the majority of coaches favor using the ADM, their adoption process varies due to diverse educational backgrounds, life experiences, and coaching contexts. Additionally, the ADM is not universally effective as a communication tool for all stakeholders. Coaches perceive the club system in Alberta as a barrier to province-wide acceptance of the ADM and call for more resources and urgency from Alberta Basketball to encourage its use.
With no published literature on the implementation or application of Canada Basketball’s Athlete Development Model (ADM) from the perspective of basketball coaches or administrators, and only an unpublished doctoral thesis on the use of the ADM by basketball coaches across Canada, this study underscores the necessity for additional research in this area. Specifically, future research should investigate coaches’ learning sources and confidence levels in the ADM, evaluate coach education and implementation effectiveness of the ADM, understand barriers to and promotion of ADM adoption, explore the role of coaches in ADM promotion, and analyze ADM communication dynamics and strategies. These insights can inform future efforts to enhance coach education and support for the ADM, ultimately contributing to the development of athletes and promoting lifelong physical activity. -
- Graduation date
- Fall 2024
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.