Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies Vol 11

Volume 11 (2017) Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies (JQRSS) comprises papers from first-time authors alongside more experienced writers, sharing their ideas stemming from primary research or through critical discussion articles. Emily Pattison and Stuart Cotterill's study of elite highboard divers is based upon a series of interviews and thematic analysis to explore overcoming mental block in performance. A similar tactic in construction is adopted by Jason Seddon and John Stoszkowski's research in coaching Junior Rugby League, which examined responses to an online survey and then made thematic-based inferences about coaching qualifications to evaluate their coaching pathway. Then, Björn Langenbach and Jörg Krieger interrogated IOC documents (International Olympic Committee) to explore the IOCs position on environmental sustainability to stage the Games, taking both a historic and predictive stance for future impact. The next three papers in the running order are narrative-based research. First, David Grecic's personal critique of his coaching journey from novice coach NGB to becoming an experienced coach educator, is told with humility, experience and sensitivity. Then Clive Palmer and the 1st Year Outdoor Leadership students have collated their 'good' and 'bad' narratives of school learning experiences. The third paper in this narrative series is from Joanne Keeling, Andrew Sprake, Grace Palmer and Clive Palmer who are all in conversation about Physical Education, schools and learning. The probing of experiences is engaging and reveals some of the problems faced by the PE teaching profession and its need to devise a pedagogy that will elicit evidence in school-based education that might raise its status as a National Curriculum subject... which in turn, demonstrates its contribution to learning. Lastly, John Metcalfe demonstrates how feeling too old to face a challenge may be state of mind when it comes to physicality and elite achievement in rock climbing.