How can tutors encourage student-coaches’ professional development throughout a season-long internship? The academic Portuguese case

Little is known about the ongoing pedagogical strategies adopted by tutors and their impact on coaches’ professional development, which limits the ability to support tutor development and the quality of tutoring provisions. Considering the Portuguese sports context, this article explored, from the student-coaches’ (SCs) perspective, the most valued pedagogical strategies employed by their tutors, and examined its potential impact on fostering their professional development. Eight SCs participated in this study. Data was gathered through individual written reflective logs and focus-group interviews and examined via thematic analysis. Highlighted pedagogical strategies associated with feeling seen included collaborative training session planning and delivery, and active involvement in competition, while feeling heard involved open communication, assignment of meaningful tasks and using the SC’s inputs to support athletes and inform decision-making. Such pedagogical strategies contributed to enhancing SCs’ self-confidence, accountability, content-related coaching skills, and professional identity. Key findings provide a foundation for developing tutoring guidelines.