Gapet mellan idrottsforskning och idrottspraktik : En studie om problematiken med integrering av vetenskaplig evidens i idrottspraktik

Sammanfattning: This study is about sport club leaders’ experiences of the gap between sport science and sport practice. The purpose of this research was to answer four specific questions: a) Does it differentiate between coaches and organizational leaders in high performance sport, when it comes to using sport science? b) How do practitioners in sport perceive sport science research? c) In what way does practitioners in high performance sport obtain inspiration and new knowledge? d) What constrains a successful process of implementing scientific knowledge in sport practice? To answer these questions, semi-structured interviews were made with six participants, included three coaches and three organization leaders in Swedish high-performance sport. This study takes theoretical attachment in the way sport science play for having an evidence-based practice in sports. Among the participants there were a strong consensus that sport science makes or can do an important contribution to high-performance sport. An important finding was the difference between coaches and organizational leaders in perceived closeness to sport science, in relation to their own reality, which also related to difference in using sport science. Coaches perceived science being closer to their reality and also use sport science more than the organizational leaders do. Coaches are most likely to observe other coaches to get new ideas. Time and recourses were important constrains to use sport science. Organizational leaders perceive a longer process in integrate scientific findings than coaches do. Strategies to get sport science taking more place in sport practice can be to coordinate findings in channels where practitioners know to go, and to be announced in an consist and informal way, that makes taking part of it fun and interesting.