Embodiment and care in associational sport: pedagogical mediation

Abstract

In associational contexts, sport can move beyond a performance-driven reduction and be framed as a transformative educational experience: movement, as embodied practice, activates processes of subjectivation, belonging, and community participation. Drawing on a Deweyan perspective on experience and a pedagogy of care, the paper portrays sport as a generative space that nurtures reflection, cooperation, and active citizenship. Within this framework, the coach is called upon to take on a role of pedagogical mediation, designing settings, routines and relationships that support agency and inclusion.