“I Don’t Believe Any Qualifications Are Required”
Exploring Global Stakeholders’ Perspectives Towards the Developmental Experiences of Esports Coaches
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22045280 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M Watson (0000-0002-0366-9821, German Sport University Cologne, corresponding author), Michael G Trotter (0000-0003-4386-2033, Halmstad University), Sylvain Laborde (0000-0003-4842-6548, German Sport University Cologne), Thomas M Leeder (0000-0002-7456-2175, University of East Anglia) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 858 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci15070858 |
| OpenAlex | W4412015980 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 57 |
Esports is a global industry, with coaches widely regarded as having a pivotal role in facilitating player development and enhancing performance. Despite this, limited research has investigated the developmental experiences of esports coaches and how they are valued by diverse stakeholder groups. Consequently, the aim of this research is to explore global stakeholders’ perspectives towards the developmental experiences of esports coaches. Data were collected via a qualitative online survey completed by 98 participants, representing 28 nationalities, across six esports stakeholder groups (head coach, assistant coach, player, team manager, performance staff, analyst). Following a reflexive thematic analysis process, three themes were generated: (1) Speaking the same language: the importance of playing and knowing the game; (2) Walking the walk: the need for coaching experience to demonstrate competency; and (3) Formal professional learning and development: a bone of contention. By understanding how diverse stakeholders value different developmental experiences, the findings offer unique insights into the contested nature of coach development in esports. This research contributes to the esports coaching literature and provides a foundation for future empirical research into this emerging area, with recommendations and implications for esports coach education and practice discussed
Knowledge management · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Computer Science · Educational Games and Gamification · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports · Psychology · Sport Psychology and Performance
Research Methods in Sports Coaching
Supporting Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Qualitative Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health
Learning by Design
Coach Education and Continuing Professional Development
Introduction
An Integrative Definition of Coaching Effectiveness and Expertise
Developing rigor in qualitative research
Can I use TA? Should I use TA? Should I not use TA? Comparing reflexive thematic analysis and other pattern‐based qualitative analytic approaches
The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology
Methodological and practical guidance for designing and conducting online qualitative surveys in public health
Investigating the impact of a Freirean informed coach education programme
Routledge Handbook of Esports
ESports is Business
What works in coach learning, how, and for whom? A grounded process of soccer coaches’ professional learning
Am I becoming better? A life-long and life-wide analysis of sport coaches’ ecological realities and (mal)adaptation in the workplace
‘[Trails] and tribulations’
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Gender in eSports research
The online survey as a qualitative research tool
Fast track’ and ‘traditional path’ coaches
Dispositions and coaching theories
Why ‘the best way of learning to coach the game is playing the game’
The fast-tracking of one elite athlete swimmer into a swimming coaching role
Sample Size in Qualitative Interview Studies
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |