THE LIFE TRAJECTORY OF ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS COACHES

ABSTRACT The purpouse of this study was to investigate the life trajectory of Gymnastics coaches (GA). A multiple case studiy took place with eight coaches with recognized competence in the youth gymnastics coaching in Santa Catarina state. Data were obtained by combining two techniques of data collection: the Rappaport Time Line (RTL) and semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using the Content Analysis technique. The first gymnastics practice experiences occurred in childhood extending to the life, and sustained by social relations in the family, school and the sport club. Become a gymnastic coach in this study corresponded to a mutual socialization process across a lifetime trough a continuous and compulsive participation these coaches in gymnastics contexts. This process was funded by the social relationships involving an interrelation between practices, meanings and belonging sense, to different communities of pratice linked to gymnastics.