Coaching is an increasingly important area of sports science courses, and this text provides accessible and up-to-date coverage of this key topic. Modern coaches need to be applied scientists who keep abreast of research and are able to apply a multidisciplinary understanding to their practice. The book therefore examines coaching in terms of biomechanics, physiology and psychology, as well as perennial issues such as athlete motivation, nutrition, design of training programmes, talent identification, monitoring and ethics. Written by an author who combines academic expertise with high-level practical experience, the book successfully links theory with case studies.

Dan Gordon is Programme Leader for Sport and Exercise Sciences and principle lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Anglia Ruskin Univerity. He has vast experience of supporting athletes and coaches in a variety of sports, including track and field, swimming, cycling, and team sports. Over the past 15 years Dan has represented Great Britain in three sports. As a cyclist he is a world record-holder. As a sport scientist he has published numerous peer-reviewed research papers.

Part 1: Understanding the coach
The coaching process
Leadership and the coach/athlete relationship
Skill acquisition and learning
Part 2: Psychological of sports performance
Goals and goal-setting
Motivation
Anxiety stress and performance
Part 3: Training the athlete
Variables and components of training
Theories and models of training
Training planning and structuring
Endurance training
Strength and power training
Flexibility training
Speed, agility and quickness
Part 4: Athlete monitoring and evaluation
Long-term athlete development
Talent identification