Abstract

In order to identify academic and sport backgrounds in South American coaches, a descriptive study was developed, with a purposive sampling of 86 men and 4 women (M = 46.1 years ± 10.2). It was found that 99% of coaches have professional training and 35% postgraduate studies, data which relates to the final classification of the event. The coaching experience has been observed in Olympic, Worldwide and Continental scenarios, with an average of two decades in the profession. It is concluded that the academic and sporting experience are important criteria in the profile of the South American coaches. Results are discussed and have encouraged further research on the issue.

KEYWORDS
Sport Training; Coaches; Training; Experience