What are Czech coaches really doing? A comparison of Czech and European-wide coaching trends

Abstract

This article aims to explore current coaching practice, and national variations, with a specific focus on the Czech Republic. The data from this study was drawn from a large scale research study involving researchers in 45 European countries and approaching 3000 participants engaged in coaching and mentoring, in a variety of roles: coaches, coach commissioners, mentors and mentor scheme managers. The survey was conducted in 31 languages to enable engagement on equal terms by all participants. The results reveal that Czech coaches read less coaching research, attend fewer coaching seminars and peer groups events than their European peers, while they practice more life-coaching, education and health coaching than their peers in Europe. This suggests that there are some significant differences between Czech and European-wide coaching population. The paper provides a unique insight into the development of coaching in central Europe in comparison with other European states.