| Educational Gaps and Reform Strategies for Professional Football Coaches in Iran: A Comprehensive Analysis |
| Paper ID : 1344-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
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Kianoosh Shajie *1, Mostafa Dashti Momen Abadi2, Alireza Kazemi Nasab3 1Faculty member of Binaloud institution of higher education of Mashhad. 2Ph.D. student in Sports Management at Shomal University, Amol, Mazandaran, Iran. 3PhD student in Sports Management, Department of Physical Education, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran. |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: Professional football coach education plays a crucial role in developing sustainable football programs and achieving competitive success. Despite Iran's football potential, systematic challenges in coach education have hindered optimal development outcomes. This study aimed to identify educational gaps and propose comprehensive reform strategies for professional football coaches in Iran through a detailed qualitative investigation of current training systems and developmental barriers. Methods: This interpretive-exploratory study employed qualitative research methods based on grounded theory with Glaser's classical approach (1998). Twenty football experts including federation training specialists, premier league international coaches, veteran players and coaches, and university professors were selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data collection utilized semi-structured in-depth interviews, analyzed through systematic open, axial, and selective coding procedures. Content and formal validity were confirmed by four sports management experts, with inter-rater reliability achieving Cohen's Kappa of 0.89. Results: The analysis identified eleven major educational gap categories: individual coach limitations, structural infrastructure deficiencies, contextual barriers, planning and organizational inadequacies, marketing and promotional weaknesses, human capital development gaps, career development system failures, educational content insufficiencies, training event shortcomings, consultation system absences, and program design flaws. These gaps collectively compromised coaching quality, professional development opportunities, and systematic knowledge transfer within Iranian football education systems. Conclusion: Iranian professional football coach education requires comprehensive reform addressing systemic gaps through enhanced infrastructure development, standardized curricula implementation, modern technology integration, and strategic collaboration between federation, clubs, and educational institutions. Sustainable improvement demands long-term commitment to quality-focused development rather than quantity-based certification approaches. |
| Keywords |
| Coach Development, Educational Assessment, Football Management, Professional Training, Strategic Planning |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
