Information mediation in sport

analysis of the performance of soccer athletes’ coaches in cearense professional football

Abstract

This paper presents results of a research aimed to examine soccer coaches’ actions in order to understand how information mediation interferes on game systems presented by these professionals. This investigation is characterized as exploratory and is based on the methodological assumptions of the qualitative approach. Interviews were used to collect information because such technique allows interaction with the subjects of the research. The collected data were analyzed using the technique of content analysis with the establishment of two categories: the performance of soccer coaches and the information mediation in the game system. The results revealed that coaches, through experiences and perceptions on the sport and knowledge repertoires, can act as mediators of the soccer athletes and that the mediation interferes on game systems proposed by coaches because the interactions between coach and athlete, as well as the information exchanged through these interactions, develop athlete’s ability to adapt to the game system and also help them improve their performance on soccer matches. Therefore, these coaches use the support of the coaching staff to stimulate athletes to learn. They do this to improve their own performance regarding the players and create an environment of constant information interchange and experiences inside the team. The librarian, in this context, could be a differentiator at the sports area by assisting soccer coaches on their work of tactical information mediation involving the athletes.