Abstract
AIMS
To reveal the pedagogical principles adopted by Brazilian coaches in teaching handball to the under-12 teams (U-12).
METHODS
The sample included six coaches with extensive coaching experience, whose reports were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data were treated and analyzed according to the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) method.
RESULTS
The results indicated a preference for game-centered approaches (CSD1), as they offer a complex environment in which distinct game skills can be developed (such as perception, attention, anticipation and decision making). To a lesser extent, coaches indicated their preference for teaching coordination exercises (justified by the maturation changes that take place during this period), and even less for the technique approach.
CONCLUSION
Based on the coaches’ perspective, games must be a central element to teaching U-12 teams, which permits the development of different aspects involved in decision-making during handball.
Keywords
team sports; youth sports; sport initiation; sports coaching; coaching