Desenvolvimento profissional de treinadores de futsal no contexto de alto rendimento angolano: uma análise exploratória acerca das práticas pedagógicas de intervenção

Abstract

The present dissertation aimed to (i) investigate the pedagogical approach favoured by coaches from the first division of Angolan futsal (i.e., coach-centred versus player-centred), and according to the use of one or another approach, (ii) identify the implications for future coach education programs in this context. Given the scarcity of research on the sportive reality in Angolan futsal, this research project adopted an exploratory design framed upon a qualitative approach and interpretative paradigm. Five futsal coaches with experience in the Angolan high-performance context participated in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed via thematic analysis. Overall, the data demonstrated a conceptual preference for the player-centred approach, manifested in the valorisation of the interpersonal relationship, in the active players' listening, in the promotion of some autonomy and accountability, in the building of the training process, and in the ongoing adaptation of the planning to the demands of the competitive context. However, the critical and detailed analysis of coaches' discourses suggested that the operationalisation of these principles occurs, in most cases, in a partial form. Although these coaches recognise the importance of player participation and autonomy, their intervention often remains marked by a logic of centralisation, in which they retain predominant control over decisions regarding training, the game model and tactical changes. Thus, the participation of the players tends to manifest itself in a punctual and unintentional way, appearing only at specific moments in the training process or competition. In this sense, findings suggested the need to strengthen pedagogical skills related with the facilitation of learning, the use of questioning and the notion of the coach as a reflective practitioner in future coach education programs.