Translating meaning in sport coaching research: reflexivity and translation at work

Despite a well-placed desire among sport coaching researchers to study diverse and international settings, discussions on the role of language translation have remained largely silent. While much of the research in sport coaching is produced in English, the issue of language translation is all too often left as a conceptual and practical black box. In this critical commentary, we open-up the discussion concerning the nature of language translation, the practical issues, and its role within the research process. Drawing upon the experiences of the authors (first and third), we use various examples of translation issues in sport coaching research as a way to encourage reflexive critical treatment of data. It is hoped the discussion illustrates how translation can be a thorny, yet critical feature of rigorous qualitative research in sport coaching.