“Encourage them to be themselves”: an evidence-based model of anti-racist coaching (ARC) practice for youth sport coaches

Abstract

Sports such as football are well-recognised sites for anti-racist politics. Yet, there is a lack of scrutiny and research around the racialised power dynamics between coach/teacher and athlete/student. This article presents an empirically and theoretically informed anti-racist coaching (ARC) model of practice. It was constructed using data collected from 35 semi-structured interviews with football coaches and exploratory peer-to-peer interviews with boys from professional English football academies. The ARC model is also framed by asset-based theories of anti-racist pedagogy. The model consists of six core principles: (1) Be culturally self-aware and self-reflective; (2) Be an ARC “influencer”/ally; (3) Develop anti-racist consciousness among players; (4) Build culturally competent relationships; (5) Adapt practice to meet cultural needs; (6) Create and sustain an ARC environment. After discussing the data that informed these principles, the article concludes by outlining how to embed the ARC model within football and other sport settings.