Evaluating the Impact of Athlete Case Studies Told Through Creative Nonfiction on Coach Learners in University Coach Education

Much has been written about the potential for creative nonfiction (CNF) to present research that can resonate with readers, researchers and practitioners in sport. In this chapter, we evaluate the impact of athlete case studies told through CNF on a group of university-based coach learners. Having previously completed research on athlete identity with nine elite dual career athletes, Marion used CNF to present these data as athlete case studies during a block of teaching on a psychological skills for performance module (Geary, Campbell, et al., 2021). Focus groups with the learners were conducted by Niamh following the teaching block, where they were asked to judge the quality of CNF with criteria such as evocation, authenticity, emotional response, coherence and incitement to action (Carless et al., 2014; Smith, McGannon, & Williams, 2015). Using CNF case studies as a pedagogical tool provided a framework for learning to allow for informal and open-ended discussion and learner centredness, while the cases resonated with the learners and encouraged them to consider how to manage athlete welfare in their own contexts. The cases did not, however, persuade the coach learners as to the value of the theoretical content related to the cases.