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Aims and Scope

The United States Center for Coaching Excellence (USCCE) supports the use of the term ‘coach development’ as an umbrella term that covers all elements of coach learning. The mission of the Journal of Coach Development is to provide an open access research forum for scholars and scholarly-practitioners who are invested in the evidence-based preparation and continued development of coaches. In order to better understand the complex process of becoming a coach and the role of those supporting coach development, this journal is meant to be an outlet for projects that incorporate rigorous research with implications for practical application.  Specific aims of the publication include but are not limited to: understanding the organizational role of coach development systems, expanding the knowledge of effective coach development practices, enhancing understanding of the complex nature of learning to coach, advancing evaluation of coaches and coach development, investigating global trends in coach development practices, and exploring efforts to diversify the coaching workforce. This publication includes peer-reviewed research articles, systematic reviews, editorial summaries, and theory to practice essays, and also serves as an outlet for position papers and calls to action from the USCCE. 

Example topics appropriate for this publication include but are not limited to:

  • Original research examining core elements of coach learning
  • Original research that provides new knowledge related to the development and implementation of coach development systems
  • Research to practice articles detailing an effective coach development strategy and evidence of its efficacy and/or effectiveness 
  • Commentary pieces related to the state of the field or in response to published research
  • Systematic reviews or metanalyses related to a specific area of coach learning
  • Challenges in systems development (e.g. scaling, quality, training to practice)
  • Examination of the effectiveness and/or differences in online vs. face-to-face coach development
  • Mentoring and one-on-one coaching of coaches
  • Contextually-specific factors that impact coach development
  • Critical functions, skills, and characteristics of coach developers