Do's and Don'ts for Sports Coaches in Different Cultural Contexts

What are the do's and don'ts when implementing sport activities in different cultural settings? We asked the opinions of experts at the Rheinsberg Seminar on Sport in Post-Disaster Intervention

What are the top three things a sports coach/teacher should try to convey or impart when conducting sports in crisis areas?
Ian Pickup (Roehampton University London) replied:
"For me, the top three things would be:

the safety of the participants

taking into account individual needs in planning the sessions/activities

thinking about the approach a teacher/coach takes to account for the context

Generally speaking, all sporting sessions need to be planned with learning objectives and a clear idea of the learning that we want to take place. In the post-disaster context, the coach needs to incorporate a heightened sense and understanding of contextual factors and accept that a “one size fits all” approach will not be effective."

What were the top three ‘worst practices’ of sports being implemented in different cultural contexts?
Dr. Ardith Peters (Kennesaw State University) and Dr. Dean Ravizza (Salisburg University) replied:

Being unaware of the cultural context itself and how your programme will impact the cultural community.

Failure to confer with appropriate community cultural experts (elders, traditional leaders, teachers, local officials) and the members of the service population

Lacking the flexibility of meeting cultural norms and requirements because of our own predetermined programmes