Welcome to the third issue of Sociology of Sport On-Line, which also marks its first anniversary. During the year we have had over 3,400 visits to the site which, we hasten to add, is not made up of the three of us popping in and out to see how many 'hits' we've had! Reflecting upon the year, we are delighted by the academic interest which the journal has generated. We recognise that the ultimate success of a journal like this is judged by the quality of its content, and we believe that sosol has been laid on firm foundations.
The first issue, which comprised of short articles from our board of reviewers, got us off to a flying start, while the second mid-year issue consolidated our position and launched the 'student section'.
Within the editorial of the last edition we identified the need to develop a greater academic interest in the 'sociology of coaching' and, to that end, we have devoted this edition to that theme. In many ways, identifying a perceived under-researched 'worthy' area of enquiry is a double-edged sword, as although it has the potential to attract 'cutting edge' research, there's really not much of it about! This was brought home, when we received several submissions which investigated coaching from a largely psychological perspective. Although interesting, these were not considered appropriate for publication in a predominantly sociological journal. However, pertinent 'papers' were submitted, which we hope will encourage scholars to become increasingly discursive about a sociology of coaching, and to use social thought and research to inform an ever increasing coaching body of knowledge. To this end, we are grateful to the organisers of the AIESEP '98 World Congress held at Adelphi University, particularly Drs. Roger Rees and Ron Feingold, for allowing us to publish selected works which were developed from AIESEP presentations.
In the main body of the issue, the overview article by Potrac and Jones sets the scene for the edition and calls for more emphasis on qualitative research which focuses on the coach as a social being. In this vein, the paper by Loadman takes the unusual approach of using narrative to explore traditional concepts of linearity and rigidity in coaching. Hardin meanwhile, uses more established qualitative approaches to compare and contrast the teaching attributes of expert coaches in their dual roles of physical education teacher and coach. Lombardo's work focuses on taking a critical view of the professional model of coaching in the context of youth sport; arguing for a reconceptualisation of coaching to take into account the changing social dynamics of youth in the late twentieth century. Lastly, Paterson's paper is largely located within a social-psychological framework. However, we feel that it raises some interesting questions for sociologists as they seek to take a holistic view of coaching knowledge.
The student section comprises of two very different articles. Gilbert and Trudel use the work of Schon to analyse the development of coaching knowledge, while Coates, uses ethnographic techniques to explore the role of the boxing coach within an inner city gymnasium. Finally, Armour reviews the book entitled 'The Influence of the Protestant Ethic on Sport and Recreation' by S. J. Overman.
The next edition of sosol will revert back to a generalist, as opposed to a thematic one, and will be published in July. We hope to hear from you in the meantime!
