Sports Coaching in Times of COVID 19 Pandemic: Physical Education Instructorslived Experiences

Abstract

The epistemology of this study lies in the actual lived experiences of the participants who performed sports coaching during COVID 19 pandemic in one of the State University in the Northern most part of Leyte in Eastern Visayas. Henceforth, this study explored the lived experiences of the Physical Education Instructors who served as sports coaches in times of pandemic. A descriptive phenomenology design utilizing the Collaizi’s phenomenological data analysis based on the selection criteria set by the researcher was used. This was validated and approved by qualitative research experts. The main instrument of this study was a semi-interview which was recorded using a digital device, transcribed using Microsoft Word, coded and extracted using a macro program embedded in the MS Word. Informed consent from the participants was sought before the conduct of the interview. The anonymity of the interviewed participants was upheld. To augment the veracity of the data, this study collected documents from the State University and Colleges where the Physical Education instructors belong. The results revealed themes about the qualities of skills training, ways of communication, health and safety and stakeholder’s aspectsare the challenges met by the sports coaches andthe provision of skills training development, ways of communication, safety, health and stakeholder’s support facets are the coaches’ coping mechanisms. Therefore, improvement in personal, technical, safety and healthand stakeholder’s support system are highly encouraged as recommendations.