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3 Int'l J. Soc. Sci. Stud. 56 (2015)
The Importance of Touch in Sport: Athletes' and Coaches' Reflections

handle is hein.journals/ijsoctu3 and id is 611 raw text is: International Journal of Social Science Studies Vol. 3, No. 4; July 2015 Fam e ISSN 2324-8033 E-ISSN 2324-8041 Published by Redfame Publishing URL: http://ijsss.redfame.com The Importance of Touch in Sport: Athletes' and Coaches' Reflections Gretchen A. Kerr', Ashley E. Stirling', Amanda L. Heron, Ellen A. MacPherson', & Jenessa M. Banwell Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Correspondence: Gretchen A. Kerr, Ph.D., Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2W6, Canada. Received: April 30, 2015 Accepted: May 15, 2015 Available online: June 10, 2015 doi: 10.11 114/ijsss.v3i4.803 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v3i4.803 Abstract This study examined athletes' and coaches' experiences of positive touch within the coach-athlete relationship, including examples of positive touch, reasons for the use of touch, and factors affecting athletes' acceptance of touch. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 coaches and 10 athletes from various sports. Data were coded using inductive and deductive coding techniques. All participants shared examples of positive touch in sport including: hugs, high fives, physical manipulation of the body, pats on the back, hand shaking, and spotting. Positive touch was reportedly used for affective, behavioural, safety, and cultural reasons. Touch was viewed by these athletes and coaches as being important and even necessary in the sport environment and within the coach-athlete relationship provided that it was individualized and contextualized. The findings are interpreted to suggest that the recent trend to avoid touch in child-populated domains ignores the many benefits of touch for health, instruction, and development. Keywords: coaching; athlete welfare; athlete-coach relationship; positive touch 1. Introduction 1.1. Touch Aversion in the Coach Athlete Relationship In light of emerging recognition of the problem of sexual abuse and harassment of young athletes by their coach, and the associated inappropriate and harmful touching behaviours that can occur in the context of sport (Brackenridge, 2001), there has been a recent trend to limit or to avoid touch in the coach-athlete relationship (Bringer, Brackenridge, & Johnston, 2002; Piper, Garratt, & Taylor, 2013). A provocative contradiction exists however, regarding the relationship between the use of touch in sport and the welfare of athletes. On one hand, by prioritizing the avoidance of harm to young people, we may have pathologized the use of touch in sport by discouraging its use. On the other hand, a wealth of literature supports the positive benefits of touch (Ardiel & Rankin, 2010; Caulfield, 2000; Tobin, 2008), thus, by adopting an athlete welfare perspective, coaches should be touching athletes for optimal health and development. Learning more about athletes' and coaches' reflections on and experiences with the use of positive touch in the coach-athlete relationship may shed light on this contradiction. In this section the importance of touch is reviewed followed by a critical summary of previous research on the use of touch in the coach-athlete relationship. Using this literature the purpose statement is defined. For the purposes of this research, 'touch' is understood to be an experience of inter-relational physical contact. 'Positive touch' is understood to be an experience of inter-relational physical contact intentionally directed by one person towards another and deemed to be of benefit to the recipient. 1.2. The Importance of Touch There is a long and rich history of research on the importance of touch for the healthy growth and development of young people (Ardiel & Rankin, 2010; Caulfield, 2000; Tobin, 2008). For example, early studies of children in orphanages in England during World War II revealed that without touch, children became morose and in some cases, died, in spite of adequate nutrition and proper hygiene (Goldfarb, 1943). Subsequent research supported the findings that failure to meet tactile and stimulation needs produced poor health outcomes and marked developmental delays in infants and children (Frank, Klass, Earls, & Eisenberg, 1996). More recently, research has focused on the enriching effects of touch including positive influences on the physical growth, IQ scores, and the social-emotional well-being of children (Blackwell, 2000). Evidence also exists to indicate the health promoting benefits of touch for adults. More specifically, touch therapies such as massage therapy, pet therapy, and hug therapy have been shown to enhance general well-being (Crawford, 2003; 56

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