Přehled o publikaci

The genesis of the coach profession is most often associated with the beginning of the 20th century. The current broader understanding of sport, combined with new historical research, suggests that the origins of coaching activities form part of the development of ancient culture. The aim of this monograph is therefore to expand the traditional interpretation of coaching and to analyse selected aspects of the emergence, genesis and professionalisation of sport coaches in a broader historical and social context. At the same time, the publication responds to the fact that this overview analysis is missing not only in the Czech but also in the global context, which also deals in more detail with the historical aspects of the coach profession. The methodological aspects of the work focus on defining a sport coach through the prism of holistically reflected sports, which forms the primary field of work for coaching. The contemporary characteristics of sports, coaching, and sport coaches subsequently enable new analyses and interpretations of the genesis and development of these phenomena. The thesis primarily examines the social aspects of coaching, as well as the origins and development of the coaching profession in ancient Greek and Roman society. Within the thousand-year history of ancient sports, a multidimensional model of a sport coach crystallised, fulfilling the basic professional features. The ancient coaches had specialised training, which primarily formed their own sports expertise and coaching experience. They often, especially the gymnastai, also received professional training in physiology and medicine, as well as dietetics, and, in some cases, philosophically oriented education. Ancient Greece established a coach profession, analogous to the present day, representing a lifelong vocation and often a mission. Ancient coaches, like the entire system of Greek and Roman sports, relied on clearly declared ethical principles. Within ancient Greek athletics, which continued to develop widely during the Roman era, the basic value definition of coaching was shaped by the general goals of ancient Greek education – paideia, which aimed at the ideal of kalokagathia and, above all, to fulfil the concept of arete. This key ancient Greek virtue was often used to describe the qualities associated with sport coaching and athletic victory. Roman sport, not only within the gladiatorial phenomenon, but also in family sports education, was based on the virtue of virtus, which placed emphasis primarily on masculinity, courage, and bravery. Since the classical Greek period, sports coaches have not only focused on the fitness and technical preparation of athletes and other clients, but also on their comprehensive personal and ethical development, as well as optimising their lifestyle, including nutrition. The ancient sports coach had the features of a social and helping profession, and at the same time, probably more significantly than today, a pedagogical profession. Ancient coaches functioned as qualified experts who not only organised and ensured sports training and the comprehensive physical development of their charges but also educated them in all aspects and often accompanied them in a friendly manner. With the collapse of the ancient world, there was a gradual decline in sports activities. Ancient sports, Greek athletics and the typical Roman spectacular games gradually lost their importance. Together with the demise of ancient sports, the fully constituted profession of sport coach disappeared, which had to wait almost fifteen more centuries for its complete renaissance.