Examining the Roles of Sports Coaches in Iran

The aim of the current research was to examine the roles of Iranian sports coaches using the exploratory phenomenology method and thematic analysis. Twenty coaches and athletes who met the specific research criteria were purposefully selected for in-depth semi-structured interviews. The research participants included sports coaches, male and female athletes from various fields such as championship sports, general sports, disabled sports, fitness, physical fitness, and adventure sports. The purposeful sample selection method was used to select the statistical sample, employing the snowball selection strategy. Data analysis was conducted using the thematic analysis method and the theme network method, processed in a descriptive-interpretive manner. Four strategies were employed to audit the research. The findings revealed five overarching themes: teacher, leader, manager, expert, and learner. The teacher theme encompassed six sub-themes: teacher, practitioner, evaluator, demonstrator, teacher of life skills, and all-round development of students. The leadership theme included the roles of mentor, model, and motivator. The management theme included planning, organizing, strategizing, moderating, safety and risk management, financial resources management, and public relations. The expert theme comprised roles such as bodybuilder, technical expert, health expert, and talent organizer. The overarching theme of the teacher's role as a learner included the sub-themes of student, researcher, and reflection. In conclusion, coaches need to prepare themselves for coaching as they are required to fulfill various roles.