Summary
This paper presents a longitudinal case study of a Swedish professional football club that adopted the Learning in Development Research Framework (LDRF) as a central feature of their player development methodology. Using ecological dynamics principles and phronetic iterative analysis, the authors identified how organizational "control over context" approaches acted as persistent socio-cultural constraints on coach and player behaviour. The study concludes that the LDRF functions not as a prescriptive solution but as a guiding tool to help clubs and organizations adaptively design contemporary athlete development frameworks suited to their specific ecosystem.
UK applicability
The findings may be relevant to UK professional football clubs and sports development organizations seeking to move beyond rigid, control-oriented coaching frameworks. However, direct applicability depends on the extent to which Swedish club structures, organizational cultures, and coaching philosophies align with UK professional football contexts.
Key measures
Qualitative analysis of socio-cultural constraints, coach and player intentions, session design practices, and organizational approaches to athlete development over a 3-year and 5-month period
Outcomes reported
The study examined how the Learning in Development Research Framework (LDRF) could illuminate socio-cultural constraints within a professional football club's player development department. The research identified the nature of constraints acting across varied timescales and their influence on practice task designs, player and coach intentions, and performance outcomes.
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