Skill Transmission, Sport and Tacit Knowledge: A Sociological Perspective

Learning how to swim or play football depends on discursive knowledge – written in manuals or transferred during training – and non-discursive, or tacit, knowledge. A young athlete may hear their coach say ‘catch it tightly’ but it is easier to show them how, and skill is acquired through practice, repetition and experience. This is the first study of the sociological aspects of tacit knowledge in the acquisition and transmission of sport skills. Drawing on social theory, theories of embodiment, and qualitative empirical studies of young athletes, the book examines how the body acquires and improves competencies through practice, in which socio-cultural conditions and norms play a key role.