The 8th International Coaching Conference brought our community together at the University of Stirling for five inspiring days of workshops, keynote lectures, presentations, symposia, and informal conversations.
Hosted by the University of Stirling in Scotland, the conference welcomed delegates from around the world to explore the theme "Echoes of Entanglement: Whose Stories Shape Our Understanding(s) of Sport Coaching?" Throughout the week, researchers and practitioners explored questions of learning, identity, representation, ethics and the many relationships that shape coaching knowledge and practice.
The conference programme reflected both the breadth and depth of contemporary coaching scholarship. Alongside more than 100 presentations, workshops, posters and symposia, delegates heard from an outstanding group of keynote speakers. Professor Richard Haynes opened the conference by connecting coaching to place, history and sporting heritage through the story of Billy Bremner. Professor Kitrina Douglas challenged delegates to consider the possibilities of arts-based approaches in coaching research, while Professor Don Vinson delivered the Bill Taylor Memorial Keynote, encouraging us to consider value creation in coaching scholarship and practice. The conference concluded with the Rising Star Keynote from Dr Adam Nichol, who explored new ways of thinking about learning, development and social influence in sport coaching.
As always, however, CRiC was about far more than the formal programme. Across campus walks, workshops, shared meals, the gala dinner and countless conversations, the conference once again demonstrated what makes the CRiC community so special: a willingness to challenge ideas, support one another, build meaningful collaborations, and create a welcoming space for researchers and practitioners at every stage of their careers.
The conference also provided an opportunity to celebrate excellence within our community. Congratulations to:
- Dr Colum Cronin, winner of Sports Coaching Review's Reviewer of the Year Award.
- Dr Ian Stonebridge and Professor Chris Cushion, winners of Sports Coaching Review's Paper of the Year Award for "Drive these boys… make sure that's ingrained in our blood": theorising coach identity as subjectivities across the coaching 'archipelago'.
- Dr Alex Lascu, winner of the Quickfire Presentation Award for "Who Gets to Decide What's Worth Knowing? The Practicality of Epistemology".
- Matt Gherardi, winner of the Postgraduate Presentation Award for his presentation on ongoing, unpublished work on care in English academy football.
- Dr Donka Darpatova-Hruzewicz, winner of the Poster Presentation Award for "Ethics isn't an add-on: coaching as world-making".
A huge thank you goes to the organising team at the University of Stirling, led by Stephen Macdonald, together with Conference Officer Dr Edward Hall, the many volunteers, presenters, sponsors and delegates whose enthusiasm, generosity and hard work made CRiC2026 such a memorable event.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Stirling. The energy, curiosity and sense of community on display throughout the week continue to make CRiC a unique space for advancing coaching research and practice.
We look forward to welcoming you to our next event!