DOI: 10.4025/jphyseduc.v29i1.2933
Original Article
THE LIFE TRAJECTORY OF ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS COACHES
A TRAJETÓRIA DE VIDA DE TREINADORES DE GINÁSTICA ARTÍSTICA
1
2
1
Vinicius Zeilmann Brasil , Thais Emanuelli da Silva de Barros , Jeferson Rodrigues de Souza , Filipy
1
1
2
Kuhn , Juarez Vieira do Nascimento and Valmor Ramos
1
2
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis/SC, Brasil.
Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis/SC, Brasil.
ABSTRACT
The purpouse of this study was to investigate the life trajectory of Gymnastics coaches (GA). A multiple case studiy took
place with eight coaches with recognized competence in the youth gymnastics coaching in Santa Catarina state. Data were
obtained by combining two techniques of data collection: the Rappaport Time Line (RTL) and semi-structured interviews.
Data were analyzed using the Content Analysis technique. The first gymnastics practice experiences occurred in childhood
extending to the life, and sustained by social relations in the family, school and the sport club. Become a gymnastic coach in
this study corresponded to a mutual socialization process across a lifetime trough a continuous and compulsive participation
these coaches in gymnastics contexts. This process was funded by the social relationships involving an interrelation between
practices, meanings and belonging sense, to different communities of pratice linked to gymnastics.
Keywords: Physical Education and Sport. Coach. Artistic Gymnastics.
RESUMO
Investigou-se a trajetória de vida de treinadores de Ginástica Artística (GA), mediante pesquisa qualitativa, com estudos de caso
múltiplos, com oito treinadores na formação de jovens ginastas brasileiros. A coleta foi realizada através do Rappaport Time Line
(RTL) e de entrevistas semiestruturadas, e a análise dos dados, por meio da técnica de Análise de Conteúdo. Os resultados
evidenciaram que os primeiros contatos com a GA ocorreram na infância, estendendo-se ao longo da vida desses sujeitos,
impulsionados pelas relações familiares, pela escola e clube esportivo. Conclui-se que tornar-se treinador de GA decorre da
participação direta, contínua e, por vezes, induzida, dos sujeitos na GA ao longo de suas trajetórias. Esse processo
fundamenta-se nas relações sociais, envolvendo uma inter-relação entre as práticas, os significados e o senso de
pertencimento a diferentes comunidades de prática ligadas à GA.
Palavras-chave: Educação Física e Esporte. Treinador. Ginástica Artística.
Introduction
The execution of highly technical movements on specific apparatuses and the
requirements set forth by the Code of Points are some of the typical aspects of Artistic
Gymnastics (AG) that contribute to the complexity of a coach’s intervention in this
modality1,2. In general, the dynamic and holistic character of a sport coach’s intervention3,4
has led to the expansion of the concept of learning and professional development in the area.
The current literature suggests that becoming a coach corresponds to a process of sporting
socialization that occurs throughout life and is founded on social relations in different
contexts5,6.
Recent studies, with biographical approach7-11, show that beliefs, values and
behaviors, incorporated through experiences along one’s life trajectory, have a strong
influence on career entry and coaching practice. Conceptually, this process has been
understood as a participation trajectory12-14, in which learning is based on social interaction
and collaboration in different contexts and situations, throughout the coach’s life15-18.
J. Phys. Educ. v. 29, e2933, 2018.
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Brasil et al.
According to Trudell and Gilbert19, the notion of participation is a relevant possibility
to interpret a coach’s learning from the concepts of Situated Learning and Communities of
Practice (CoPs)20. From this perspective, learning is an inseparable aspect of social practice,
which involves the person as a whole, the world in which he or she lives and the activities in
which he or she engages, through a system of interpersonal relationships organized in
CoPs20,21. The focus of this perspective is on the types of social engagements of the
individual, which provide the proper context for meaningful learning.
In the field of sports training, these concepts have been used to understand the
dynamics of learning that occurs in social relations in groups of athletes22; of coaches, in
sports clubs and teams23, such as baseball24, basketball25,26, surfing27,28, football17, soccer11,
skating29 and skiing30. In general, the results of these studies show that the most significant
learnings are those that occur in daily practice, through engagement in different CoPs,
participating, interacting and negotiating the meanings of their actions.
Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the life trajectory of Artistic
Gymnastics (AG) coaches. This interest lies in analyzing the engagement of these coaches in
AG-related practices, their social interactions within the context of this modality, and the
implications of these experiences on their life trajectories. The understanding of these aspects
can provide relevant indicators to discuss and operationalize the training of coaches when it
comes to federative courses and initial training in Physical Education.
Methodological Procedures
Study Participants
A qualitative research, of descriptive type, with interpretive character31 was carried out,
based on multiple case studies32 of eight AG coaches working in the State of Santa Catarina
(Figure 1), who were intentionally selected as per the following criteria: have at least 10 years
of experience in AG teaching; contribution to the coaching of young gymnasts, recognized by
other coaches and heads; participation in official competitions promoted by the FESPORTE
and/or FGSC; being working, at the time of the research, as an AG coach; availability and
willingness to participate in the study.
C
Gender Age
EG LCA CE
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
M
F
M
M
M
63
31
41
49
48
12
20
26
25
19
N
N
N
I
E
47
13
17
30
28
C6
M
41
5
E
26
C7
C8
M
M
42
31
30
18
I
N
22
10
Undergraduate
Course
Physical Education
Physical Education
Physical Education
Architecture
Physical Education
PE professional
certified based on
experience
Physical Education
PE Student
Other Courses
PE Spec.
Children’s Education Spec.
Sport Training and AG Spec.
AG Refereeing Course
Motor Development Spec.
AG Refereeing Course
Sport Training and AG Spec.
AG Refereeing Course
Figure 1. AG coaches’ profile
Note: C = Coach; M = Male, F = Female; EG = Experience as Gymnast (years), LCA = Level of Competitive Activity, S =
State, N = National, I = International; CE = Coaching experience (years); Spec. = Specialization
Source: The authors
J. Phys. Educ. v. 29, e2933, 2018.
Life trajectory of coaches
Page 3 of 12
Coaches C4 and C6, besides being AG coaches, also performed refereeing activities in
the 2013-2016 Olympic cycle, while C2 and C8 were personal trainers, and C7 was a Physical
Education professor.
Data Collection
Information was obtained through the Rappaport Time Line (RTL), in accordance with
Duarte and Culver9, as well as scripted semi-structured interview. The RTL recorded
important events in the life of the coaches, organized chronologically from birth until the time
of the research. On a sheet (about 1 meter) containing a line with two ends (birth and present),
each participant was instructed to record dates, places, situations and important people in their
trajectory in the sport. This procedure had an average duration of 1h22 min. (minimum 43
min, maximum 1h56 min). The researcher interacted with the coaches, assisting them in
filling the sheet through an informal conversation captured by a digital recorder. The
information obtained from the RTL was analyzed and used to guide the interview,
contributing to the description and interpretation of the coaches’ experiences and trajectories.
Data Analysis
The audio recordings (RTL and interviews) were transcribed literally with the help of
Windows Media Player and Word programs and analyzed through Qualitative Solutions
Research Nvivo 9.1 (QSR). Multiple case study procedures were adopted32, in which each
coach’s data were analyzed individually and confronted with each other, allowing the
identification of “consensus” as to practices, situations and contexts present in their trajectory.
The procedures of the Content Analysis technique, according to Bardin33, were used to
categorize the information given by the coaches. Within each topic indicated a priori – that is,
the first experiences of AG practice, as an athlete and coaching career entry – specific themes
were identified.
The descriptive reliability of the data was obtained by the participants’ check, while
data interpretation was reviewed by specialists in the area34. Both data collection procedures
took place at each coach’s workplace, at a time and date they found convenience, allowing the
establishment of a trust relationship between investigator and coach, increasing the accuracy
of the collected information35.
The research was approved by the ethics committee of a Brazilian public university
(Legal Opinion No. 1.122.298/2015). The coaches signed the Free and Informed Consent
Form, authorizing the recording and disclosure of results, without profit motives. To preserve
anonymity, letters and numbers (C1, for instance) were used to identify each coach in the text.
Results
The contexts and learning situations in different phases of the AG coaches’ life
trajectory are presented in Figure 2.
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Phase
First
contacts
with AG
Brasil et al.
Context
Situations
Parents (C7 and C8)
Siblings (C3 and C4)
Childhood experiences linked
Cousins (C1 and C6)
to social relations in the family,
PE teacher (C3)
school and sports club.
Coach (C8)
Engagement
in AG
systematic
practice
Adolescence experiences in
family and training
environments, and in AG
competitions.
AG
coaching
career entry
First experiences as a coach
(when still athletes).
Parent encouragement (C6 and C4)
Teammates (C1, C3 and C4)
Coach (C3)
Sport performance (C2, C4, C5 and C7)
Taste for practice (C3, C6 and C8)
Trips (C2 and C3)
Coach’s influence (C2, C3, C6, C7 and C8)
Taste for AG (C8)
High performance level (C1, C4 and C7)
Financial need (C1, C3, C4 and C6)
Figure 2. Phases, contexts and situations of the AG coaches’ trajectory
Source: The authors
First Contacts with AG
In the cases investigated, the first experiences with AG practice occurred in childhood,
being linked to social relations in the family, school and sports club. In the family context,
they were connected to their relationship with parents, siblings, cousins and aunts and uncles,
who have provided opportunities and experiences for this practice and interaction with other
practitioners.
Coach C8 believes his father’s constant encouragement to play various sports
(swimming, taekwondo, volleyball), including AG, in addition to his biotype and
“hyperactive” behavior, were important to his early experiences in this modality. For C7, the
fact that his father was an athlete and works as a coach allowed him to be in contact with the
sport from a young age, as he himself states:
[...] My father was a coach... when I was five I would always go to the gym, play,
with no commitment, accompany him in training sessions and play on gym
equipment. Back then, he had this friend who was also a coach, and he would come
to our house, and they would go to work together ... after a while, this friend of my
father invited me to start training with him... I was about 7 years old. Then I started
training with him every day... and after a while, with my father... after that, I never
left the gym again! [...] (C7).
For C3 and C4, daily contact with their artistic gymnast siblings provided their first
contacts with the sport, especially through playing at home, as stated, for instance, by C4:
“[...] my older brother was already doing gymnastics and I did everything at home, so I got
many skills, I was very agile, I climbed up doors, benches [...]”. In the perception of C1 and
C6, daily contact with their cousins was fundamental for their first contacts with AG. C1
recalls: “... I learned everything he did at the gym and I did everything I could at home [...]”,
while for C6, although his cousin was not a gymnast, the act of accompanying him in his judo
classes may have exposed him to a sport environment that influenced him to start doing AG:
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Life trajectory of coaches
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[...] My cousin practiced judo... I watched him and saw all those people in
kimonos and that called my attention. Next to where karate classes
happened, I would see those guys doing flips, bar spins, on the trampoline,
all of them training, and I fell in love with gymnastics. It’s when that I began
to do some of those things at home [...] (C6).
Still in the family context, coach C5 recalls: “[...] when I was nine, I watched my aunt
doing gymnastics and I was impressed by what she did, I found it very cool, extremely
different from what I had seen, and was amazed and sometimes I would practice it with her
[...]”.
Some coaches (C2, C3, C6 and C8) believe that established relationships and
experiences of bodily practices in the school environment and in the club led them to their
first experiences with AG. Coach C3 highlights the influence of his Physical Education
teacher: “[...] I was 10 years old and my Physical Education teacher brought another teacher
to teach Olympic Gymnastics! I tried it and I still do gymnastics to this day! I fell in love and
stayed for a long time [...]”. In the case of C8, he recalls the encouragement from his
volleyball coach: “[...] she said that I would not do well in volleyball... next to the volleyball
class space they were doing gymnastics... she told me to go there, and my dad also supported
it... when I started learning the exercises, it became an addiction!”.
It is worth highlighting as well that, in the cases of C3, C5, C6 and C8, the first
contacts with AG seem not to be strictly related to the context of this modality, but rather to
participation in other practices, such as dance and cycling (C3), table tennis (C5), karate and
swimming (C6), taekwondo, swimming and volleyball (C8).
Engagement in AG Systematic Practice
The coaches’ engagement and permanence in AG are characterized by experiences in
childhood family environments, in training contexts and in AG competitions in adolescence.
In the perception of C6 and C4, encouragement to do sports and emotional support from
parents were fundamental for them to keep doing AG, as C6 affirms:
[...] For my mom and dad, the first thing was school and studying and then
doing sports... I had my homework, I would come home and have everything
set on a schedule, it was disciplinary... and, in the end, my dad always asked
me what sport I was going to choose... it could be whatever I wanted, but I
had to do it... they always told me that in competition I had to know how to
lose and win...
For coaches C1, C3 and C4, interaction with teammates was very important so that
they remained engaged in the practice of AG. C4 recalls: “[...] We were always discussing
about the movements, what we had to train... we were about 12 years old and would go to
practice doing handstands and flic flaks as we walked!” For C1, in addition to interaction with
his friends, the relationship with his coach and other people linked to AG provided him with
the sensation of being recognized and valued, mainly for his performance in training and
competitions, as well as his ease in learning the gestures of the modality, as he himself points
out:
“[...] I lived in a poor house, had nothing. In gymnastics, I had everything! A gym,
had a mattress, had friends, a teacher. And most importantly, I was a guy with a
tendency to be an athlete, so I was valued. I learned things very fast, so I started to
be someone important and respected by everyone in the club, like other athletes who
stood out!” (C1)
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In the case of C3, the close and familiar relationship with his coach was stressed in his
statements: “[...] my relationship with my coach was very good, I lost my father very young,
so he took that position of a father... he was very helpful, contentious, hard on me... I think
that today I am tough because of him ... he was a model for me.”
The desire to achieve higher levels in the practice of AG and good results in
competitions was also mentioned by some coaches (C2, C4, C5 and C7) as an important
aspect for engagement in training, as mentioned by C7:
“[...] The wish to be a world champion, to reach high levels, to compete in the
Olympics, that made me enter the gym and train hard. I got to compete a world
championship... so the search for result was something that always motivated me to
be practicing in the gym.”
In the particular case of C5, this seemed to be related to a desire to “prove” to himself
his ability to enhance his learning of AG technical gestures, as he states: “[...] many people
said that gymnastics was not for me... but I wanted to do gymnastics! So, all that gave me
more strength so that I could overcome my difficulties and prove to myself that I could
surpass myself.”
Taste for AG, and above all for the challenges in learning the stunts, flight elements
and other gymnastics movements, as well as the difficulty levels of gymnastics elements,
were practice aspects that led coaches C3, C6 and C8 to dedicate themselves to the training
routine, intensifying their daily training and seeking to reach higher levels of performance, as
C6 states:
“[...] What moved me was the challenges. Each day I would perform a new exercise,
that gave me pleasure... a challenge was presented to me and I would fight to
overcome it... I was very persistent... so, each apparatus had a different nature of
movements, a much wider range of movements, so it really was very attractive [...].
For C2 and C3, trips to participate in AG-related competitions and events, as well as
meeting other athletes and knowing other institutions were important experiences so they
could set new personal goals of performance and, consequently, engage more deeply in the
practice of this modality. This is evidenced in C2’s statement, who says: “[...] some of the
best gymnasts in the world came to my city after the Olympics, and I saw some guys doing
gymnastics... they did a lot of things I did not know... I was amazed, wanted to do it too, I
believed I could do that too.”
AG Coach Career Entry
All individuals mentioned that their first coaching experiences occurred while they
were still AG athletes. As C5 narrates:
“[...] I was still an athlete and my job as a coach was starting too. I went to
Florianópolis on weekends to train, stayed in a house with these handball players,
we would go on Friday, train Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, and return to Inaja
on Monday, because I had gymnasts to train [...]”
For C3, in turn, “[...] becoming a coach was handed out on a silver plate to me! My
coach invited me to teach at this school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and on the other days I
trained [...]”. In C8’s case, this process was driven by the “taste” he had for AG: “[...] I was
addicted to gymnastics, I always wanted to work with it, it was to this purpose of working as a
coach that I dedicated my life”.
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Life trajectory of coaches
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In addition to helping their coaches or acting as head coaches, all of them mentioned
that this period was marked by the number of roles taken. Coach C2 recalls: “[...] I was still
an athlete, I taught physical education in the morning, coached in the afternoon and went to
college at night. It was a crazy routine... so, there is not a specific moment when I became a
coach, but I was becoming a coach, until I started helping my own coach”.
Coaches C1, C4 and C7 believe that the high level of performance they have reached,
through their experiences as athletes, was a decisive factor for them to take on the role of
coaches. Coach C7 recalls: “[...] when I started, I would pick up the boys, choose who I was
going to work with and pass on to them my experience as an athlete, from the basics, with the
same goal, same technique, to make a high-performance gymnast [...]”. In the case of C1, he
recalls: “[...] I felt confident because I knew a lot about AG, so I taught my athletes, they
learned and got better than me, even at teaching [...]”
The relationship established with coaches, through daily interaction in training,
competitions and other situations provided by the AG context, was recognized by C2, C6, C7
and C8 as an aspect that allowed them to have their first experiences with teaching this
modality. Coach C2 mentions “[...] I have trained for about 10 years in the same club and
that’s where I started my coaching career, at the age of 18, helping my own coach in classes
for kids [...]”. Similarly, C6 recalls: “[...] I handled physical preparation and helped my coach
in training sessions, holding some base elements [...]”. As for C8, the experiences with his
coach seem to have been so significant that they were still friends until the moment of the
interview, as he says:
“[...] I accompanied my coach while he taught, and soon I was coaching at this kid’s
school, and only after that I joined the coaching staff. He gave me a lot of tips,
showed me the best way... he still instructs me from time to time, we always talk,
it’s a very open relationship, of real friends...”
In this phase of the coaches’ trajectory, it is believed that the choice of the Physical
Education university course by almost all of them (C1, C2, C3, C5, C6, C7 and C8) was
mainly driven by their vast experience as athletes, as they aspired to be professionally
recognized as AG coaches and were already performing coaching activities. For instance,
coach C4 recalls: “[...] at that time I was already attending the Physical Education course, so
those who are or used to be gymnasts tend to work with it, become a coach, and of course,
study Physical Education [...]”.
The financial aspect also seems to have been a circumstance that influenced some
choices in the trajectory of coaches C1, C3, C4 and C6, allowing them to maintain their
training routines as athletes. This is evidenced in C6’s and C4’s reports, respectively, “[...]
since I was still training, working as an assistant to my coach in the club, I could make some
money, which helped me stay in AG [...]”, and “ [...] I started working in the club where I
trained more because I needed, but then I had a chance to work, that’s when I became a gym
instructor [...]”.
Discussion
The results showed that, in the case of the investigated individuals, becoming a coach
corresponded to the participation, throughout life, in different social contexts (family, school,
club and university) where AG was present. For Cushion, Armor, and Jones14, this involves a
sporting socialization process that results in the collective understanding and sharing of
meanings, symbols and values about a particular sports culture. This process involves moving
in the sense of full participation in a particular practice and group, which, in turn, means an
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Brasil et al.
increase in responsibilities taken, amount of practices, expansion of skills for practice, and
number of roles played within the group20.
The coaches’ first experiences with AG practice happened via social relations,
especially with family and friends. Daily games and other situations experienced at home, on
the street, at school or in the club expressed a playful character with the meaning of fun and
challenge. Most of the times, these situations were mediated by more experienced individuals
– cousin, friend or parent –, who provided a mode of instruction that emerged from the very
interactions in practice. Therefore, while the coaches played spontaneously, they also
appropriated skills and perceptions about their own body in the execution of acrobatics and
body movements that are typical of AG36.
Results of studies with coaches in soccer11, surfing28, basketball26, Paralympic sports12
and canoeing/climbing10 show that these individuals’ first experiences with sports were
marked by a playful and spontaneous character, defined by the combination of a sense of
belonging to the family with a favorable environment for sports. According to Wenger21,
family represents the first community of practice, although it may present itself from several
configurations, as it brings a common capacity to create, reproduce, transmit and disseminate
routines, beliefs, values, interests, symbols and stories. Generally, it is within the family
group that the child perceives that a certain activity is performed by some members of his or
her surroundings, when he or she begins to feel a desire to belong to that group, seeking to
engage in this activity to feel part of it and have the group’s recognition20.
The coaches’ engagement in AG routine practice, still in childhood, was driven mainly
by close people (parents, cousins, friends, and teachers) who already had some connection
with this modality. From that moment, they began to participate in a group of people whose
main interest (domain) was the practice of AG and that, consequently, involved a social life in
the contexts where this practice developed, especially in the club and school. As they
broadened their skills and knowledge about this sport, they moved toward full participation in
that community.
According to Wenger21, it is the individual’s engagement in a CoP and his or her
dedication to specific community activities that significantly contribute to the self-evaluation
of his or her skills/abilities and their refinement, as well as to him or her deriving pleasure in
doing it. For Galipeau and Trudel22, this movement towards the center of the CoP, of a certain
sport modality, occurs not only through engagement in physical practice, but also through
social interactions and a sense of belonging to the club, the group of athletes or the team. At
the same time that this participation has contributed to the development of personal identity as
an athlete, it enabled identification with the club and with the other practice mates.
Sense of belonging brings effective gains of legitimacy in participation, implying a
deep engagement in the practice of interest20. From this perspective, therefore, becoming a
gymnast has meant learnings in the dimensions of acting (practicing), thinking and feeling,
supported by a social and cultural context linked to AG, attributing a meaning to the process
(cognitive and social) and to the content of learning (specific knowledge, skills, competencies
and values). This participation allows the incorporation of sociocultural values typical of a
particular sports culture, integrating the trajectory of athletes or practitioners and creating
beliefs that may reflect on their choices and attitudes in adult life37.
The transition from athlete to the first coaching actions was marked by the
intensification of these individuals’ participation in AG practice and, consequently, by the
acceptance of new responsibilities, such as reaching higher levels of practice (learning of new
and diversified gymnastics elements), achieving good results in competitions, representing the
club and/or city, assisting club mates in the learning process, and coaches in training tasks,
and making a living with AG. However, still in the role of athlete, when they took on the role
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of coaches, the shared practice also included the teaching of AG, indicating an initial phase of
these individuals’ engagement in a CoP of coaches22,30.
The trust relationship established with coaches, through daily interaction for years,
was an important aspect in determining the first AG teaching experiences. By observing,
talking and assisting their coaches in the development of training activities, they could
construct the first representations about teaching. In the roles of assistant or coach, they
became “newcomers” in the activity of teaching this modality, engaging in a more peripheral
participation in this group, learning about the principles, values and norms established, as well
as work conduct, communication of ideas, and the engagement of the most experienced
coaches22.
Considering the time that the investigated coaches were exposed to AG, it is clear that
their entry in this career was a “natural” process19,38. Several studies focusing on the career
and development of sports coaches8,12,38 show a strong relationship between positive
experiences in sports and the choice of the coaching career. According to Côté et al.39 and
Jones, Armour and Potrac37, coaches interpret situations and idealize future pedagogical
actions based on their previous experiences. In addition, the possibility and/or desire to
intervene as AG coach possibly led them to seek a professional certification that would
legitimize them as sports coaches – habilitation in Physical Education specifically. This could
be verified in studies with other Brazilian coaches4,11,26, in which the main reason for
choosing the course in this area was meeting the legal requirements for intervention as a
sports coach.
Indeed, the involvement of these coaches in the roles of sportspeople/athletes and
coaches was a defining factor of their interests and professional choices. In particular, the
sense of belonging – to the family, to the team, to the club and to the coaching profession –
was not restricted to the spaces of sharing of knowledge and skills, but rather to the way they
were seen by the members of their own communities. The gains of legitimacy and belonging
through participation in the practices were fundamental in the process of becoming a coach.
Verifying the importance of personal engagement and authentic participation in AGrelated practices for the investigated coaches’ learning, it is believed that the results of this
study can contribute to the discussion and development of strategies for the updating and
formation of coaches. Social interactions, observations and professional practice itself, in
authentic contexts of practice, are fundamental aspects to be considered for qualification and
updating opportunities of coaches, promoted by clubs and entities representing AG (clinics,
workshops, short courses, meetings, etc.) For disciplines related to teaching and sports
training in AG, in particular, offered in Physical Education undergraduate courses, the results
of this study can contribute to the implementation of strategies that prioritize the participation
of undergraduates in authentic activities, social interaction with professionals who already
work, and the daily routine of a club where activities related to this modality are developed.
Conclusions
Becoming an AG coach resulted from these individuals’ direct, continuous and
sometimes compulsive participation in practices linked to this modality along their
trajectories. This process was marked by sociocultural aspects in different phases of their lives
and by social relations established in immediate contexts (family) and with other specific
groups (school and club).
Throughout the life of these coaches, the practices in which they engaged
corresponded to the actions of doing gymnastics for fun, training and competing as an AG
athlete, as well as teaching this modality as coaches. As they mentioned, the meanings of
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Brasil et al.
these practices are about the playful and spontaneous nature of childhood games, the
challenging aspect of the movements, the pursuit of success as an athlete, and the pleasure and
personal satisfaction of being an AG coach. Their experiences were founded on social
relations they established by participating in different CoPs, which were organized according
to practices, the family, the club, the group of athletes or coaches, and a broader group linked
to AG.
Possible limitations of the study may be related to the inefficiency of the
methodological procedures adopted to access all of the coaches’ forms of participation in a
wide sporting system referring to AG. The fact that the coaches investigated come from the
same Brazilian state prevents the generalization of their trajectories as being typical of
coaches in this modality. In addition, the number of coaches investigated led to the decision to
discuss the similarities of the episodes that characterized the learning process of these
individuals.
Future studies should investigate the learning of experienced AG coaches in different
regions of Brazil, based on a combination of procedures for interview, observation and
systematic recording, in order to analyze the social interactions established in the daily work
of these professionals, obtaining detailed information on: “what do they seek to learn?”, “how
and with whom do they learn?” and “what do they learn?”
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Received on Feb, 23, 2017.
Reviewed on Jun, 08, 2017.
Accepted on Jul, 08, 2017.
Author address: Vinicius Zeilmann Brasil, Campus Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, s/n – Trindade, Florianópolis – SC,
88040-900, vzbrasil@hotmail.com
J. Phys. Educ. v. 29, e2933, 2018.