From Knox to Dyson: Coaching, Amateurism and British Athletics, 1912- 1947
Abstract
Coaching has a long history in athletics, dating back to the era of professional
pedestrians such as Captain Barclay. By the early twentieth century, because
of the dominance of the amateur hegemony, the notion of coaching in British
athletics was in retreat. Governing bodies like the Amateur Athletics
Association associated coaching with professionalism. However, due to the
rise in international competition, especially the Olympic Games, this idea
was reconsidered. As Britain began to slip from its place as the pre-eminent
sporting nation, coaching took on a greater significance among the athletics
hierarchy at least as far back as 1912. This article examines this process from
1912 to 1947, when criticism over Britain’s performance increasingly began
to be thought of as a reflection of national prestige and the fitness of the
nation. In addition, it locates coaching developments not only within the
shifting nature of amateurism but argues that coaching itself had an
important role in changing the subtle and complex meanings of amateurism.
Description
Citation : Carter, Neil (2010) From Knox to Dyson: Coaching, Amateurism and British Athletics, 1912-1947. Sport in History, 30 (1), pp. 55-81
ISSN : 1746-0263
Research Group : International Centre for Sports History and Culture
Research Institute : Institute of History
Peer Reviewed : Yes
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- School of Humanities [1781]