The Coach’s Pedagogical and Health-promoting Functions: Theoretical and Literature Review Frameworks

Abstract

Both Hungarian and international literature indicate that coaching cannot be reduced to the transmission of sport-specific technical and tactical knowledge; rather, it also encompasses complex pedagogical and health-promotion functions. This study is based on a narrative literature review in which we organize and interpret available research findings around key concepts (coaching roles, pedagogical mechanisms of influence, well-being, and prevention). The aim of the paper is to provide an educational-science interpretation of the coach’s role: how coaches function simultaneously as instructors, educators, mentors, facilitators, and health-promotion professionals, and how they shape the learning environment and the conditions for athletes’ development. We argue that these roles are not mutually exclusive; instead, they dynamically complement one another. Their impact is reflected in the quality of athletes’ learning, the maintenance of motivation, psychological well-being, attitudes related to injury prevention, and long-term sport-specific and personal development. This is particularly salient in youth sport, where pursuing performance goals and fostering personality development at the same time can also raise pedagogical dilemmas. Our findings may contribute to a more conscious interpretation of pedagogical, communication, and prevention functions in coach education, supported by clearer competence goals and greater professional emphasis.