Coaches, Ethics and Autonomy

Abstract

In a previous study (Bergmann Drewe, 1999), I interviewed university-level athletes in an attempt to ascertain what sort of ethical dilemmas/issues these athletes encountered in their sport and how they resolved these dilemmas. A topic which arose in the interviews concerned the influence of the coach on the athletes' perception and resolution of ethical dilemmas/issues in their sport. To better understand the influence of the coach, I conducted a subsequent study where I interviewed university-level coaches. In this paper I examine the ethical dilemmas/issues shared by the coaches, including how the coaches resolved these dilemmas. I then compare and contrast the coaches' perceptions and resolutions of ethical dilemma/issues with the answers given by the athletes. Differences between the coaches' and athletes' perceptions and resolutions of ethical dilemmas/issues raised questions concerning the autonomy of the athlete. Thus, I conducted a conceptual analysis of the notion of autonomy. I considered different conceptions of autonomy and how each conception translates into the coach-athlete relationship.