Blurring boundaries? Exploring the experiences of parent-coaches in grassroots sport

The sport and parent coaching nexus is an intriguing and topical area in sport coaching. Historically, volunteer parent-coaches are fundamental to children’s global grassroots sporting participation, with parents positioned as both coach and parent. However, despite the complexity and importance of the dual role it remains under-researched.

Notwithstanding, some scholarship has described the role as being ‘invidious’ (Elliott & Drummond, 2017) and receiving an ‘unproblematic presentation’ (Zehnter et al., 2020). Further, it has also been suggested (e.g., Eliasson, 2019; Watts, 2025) that research in this context can overlook sociological frameworks and grassroots sport. The literature also remains somewhat limited in respect to mothers coaching their own children in particular.

As such, there is need to further examine how mothers and fathers experience and navigate the dual role of parent-coach. This project will, therefore, look to engage with practitioners within grassroots sports and build on what is currently known and understood about the parent-coach role and parent-child relationships. Similarly, the project will examine the parent-coach workforce’s experiences of formal coach education and therefore has implications for both prospective and current parent-coaches’ learning and education.

Your supervisors will be Dr Oliver Hooper and Dr Darren Watts. Both are recognised internationally for their work on youth sport, sport coaching, and coach development. We are looking for students who are highly motivated, with backgrounds in sport studies, coaching, physical education, and/or other social science disciplines, and with interests in exploring the parentcoach role.

The successful candidate has the opportunity to make a direct impact upon knowledge and policymaking, and to gain an international reputation for their expertise, in these areas. The successful candidate will join our world-class community of academics, doctoral researchers, and students with multidisciplinary expertise in sport, coaching, physical activity, and physical education. You will be located within the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, which has an exceptional, worldwide track-record for the career development and skills training of sport-related researchers.

You will be part of a research culture and environment that reflects our #1 rating for sport-related subjects in the QS World University Rankings, including having the opportunity to be part of our UNESCO Chair in Sport, Physical Activity and Education for Development. Moreover, through our Doctoral College, you will have continual opportunities for building important research skills and networks among your peers and research academics. 94% of Loughborough’s research impact is rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

REF 2021