A Case for Coach Garfinkel: Decision Making and What We Already Know

The purpose of this article is to deconstruct the decision-making processes of sports coaches through the writings of the sociologist Harold Garfinkel. Specifically, the authors draw upon Garfinkel’s (1967) writings on jurors’ decision making to challenge current cognitivist bound conceptualization to better interpret coaches’ sense-making–why and how they make their decisions. The significance of the work lies in further deciphering the meaningful structures of daily coaching lives; within whose limits coaching decisions unfold. Following a brief review of literature related to coaches’ decision making, the principal tenets of Garfinkel’s work are outlined. This gives way to an examination of Erving Goffman’s (1974) work of “frames of reference” in terms of how coaches’ decision making can be developed and improved before a reflective conclusion summarizes the main points made and their implications for future coach education.