Dr Ben Ives
Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching and Programme Leader Manchester City Community Football Coaching
My profile
Biography
I have been a Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching at Manchester Metropolitan University since 2019, and also fulfill the role of Programme Leader for the Manchester City Community Football Coaching programme. Prior to joining Manchester Met, I was a Lecturer in Sport Coaching at Buckinghamshire New University. Before joining Bucks, I completed my PhD at the University of Hull, alongside a tutor role in the Department of Sport, Health and Exercise at the University of Hull.
My research and teaching primarily focuses on policy and practice issues related to sport coaching that takes place in diverse community settings and aims to address key government outcomes relating to the physical health, mental wellbeing, and wider social development of individuals and communities. I examine the policy contexts in which this work is located and the socio-political, pedagogical, and emotional challenges that are an inherent feature of everyday practice. In this work, I have always prioritised strong relationships with educators, students, practitioners, and policy makers, and have worked closely with Active Partnerships, Local Councils, National Governing Bodies, Sporting Charities, and Community Football Trusts. I am passionate about the important role community sport coaches play in society, and I strive to work closely with industry to support and resource community sport coaches so they are best equipped to provide high-quality sport and recreation provision that improves lives and shapes society.
Interests and expertise
My area of expertise lies broadly in the policies and practice of community sport coaching. I have published widely on the (micro)political, emotional, dramaturgical, and pedagogical features of sports work in community coaching contexts. Some of my current areas of interest focus on the interactional skills community sport coaches need to navigate these policy environments, inspire participants, and improve their physical and mental wellbeing, life skills, employability, and community relations.
I would be very happy to consider postgraduate supervision in these areas.
Teaching
I have been designing and delivering teaching provision for students on sport coaching related courses at foundation, undergraduate, and postgraduate level since 2012. In my current role at Manchester Metropolitan, I teach units across our portfolio of undergraduate sport courses including, Community Sport Coaching, Advanced Community Sport Coaching, Methods of Enquiry, and City in the Community Work Based Learning.
I also provide supervision for post-graduate researchers in areas relating to sport coaching and community sport.
Research outputs
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Ives, B., Potrac, P., Gale, L., Nelson, L. Community Sport Coaching. Routledge.
Ives, B., Potrac, P., Gale, L., Nelson, L. (2021) Community Sport Coaching: Policies and Practice. London: Routledge.
Gale, L.A., Ives, B. (2019) Sports coaching in the community: Developing knowledge and insight. Manchester Metropolitan University.
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Chapters in books
Ives, B., Nelson, L., Gale, L., Potrac, P., Toner, J. (2024) 'Introducing Coach Learners to Behaviourist Coaching Principles.' The Routledge Handbook of Coach Development in Sport. Routledge, pp. 132-143.
Ives, B., Potrac, P., Gale, L.A., Nelson, L. (2021) 'Introduction.' B. Ives, P. Potrac, LA. Gale and L. Nelson (Eds.), Community Sport Coaching: Policies and Practice. London: Routledge.,
Gale, L.A., Ives, B., Nelson, L., Potrac, P. (2021) 'Trust and (dis)trust in community sport coaching.' B. Ives, P. Potrac, LA. Gale and L. Nelson (Eds.), Community Sport Coaching: Policies and Practice. London: Routledge.,
Nelson, L., Potrac, P., Gale, L.A., Ives, B. (2021) 'Political skill in community sport coaching work.' B. Ives, P. Potrac, LA. Gale and B. Ives (Eds.), Community Sport Coaching: Policies and Practices. London: Routledge.,
Ives, B., Nelson, L., Gale, L.A., Potrac, P. (2021) 'Emotions, emotion norms, and emotion management in community sport coaching.' B. Ives, P. Potrac, LA. Gale and L. Nelson (Eds.), Community Sport Coaching: Policies and Practice. London: Routledge.,
Potrac, P., Ives, B., Gale, L.A., Nelson, L. (2021) 'Community sport coaching and impression management.' In: B. Ives, P. Potrac, LA. Gale and L. Nelson (Eds.), Community Sport Coaching: Policies and Practice. London: Routledge.,
Ives, B., Potrac, P., Gale, L., Nelson, L. (2021) 'Introduction.' Community Sport Coaching: Policies and Practice. pp. 1-4.
Ives, B., Gale, L. (2019) 'Foreword.' In: LA. Gale and B. Ives (Eds.), Sports coaching in the community: Developing knowledge and Insight. Manchester Metropolitan University,
Gale, L., Ives, B. (2019) 'Emotional struggles and troubled relationships.' In LA. Gale and B. Ives (Eds.), Sports coaching in the community: Developing knowledge and insight. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Ives, B., Gale, L.A., Potrac, P., Nelson, L. (2019) 'The Interplay between Identity and Emotion in Community Sport Coaches Work.' In C. Corsby and C. Edwards (Eds.), Exploring research in sports coaching and pedagogy: Context and contingency. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.,
Ives, B., Gale, L.A., Nelson, L., Potrac, P. (2016) 'Enacting Youth Sport Policy: Towards a micro-political and emotional understanding of community sports coaching work..' K. Green & A. Smith (eds) Routledge Handbook of Youth Sport. London: Routledge.
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Reports
Mackintosh, C., Ives, B., Stanniford, L., Gale, L., Thompson, A., Sims, D., Daniels, J., Oldfield, S., Kolic, P. (2020) COVID-19 RESEARCH REPORT: The impact of the Pandemic on Community Sport provision and participation. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Ives, B., Gale, L., Daniels, J. (2019) Reading Football Club Community Trust Social Impact Report: A Qualitative Investigation.
Ives, B., Clayton, B. (2017) Motivations and challenges for disability sport and physical activity in Buckinghamshire: A qualitative report. Commissioned by Buckinghamshire County Council and Leap With Us.
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Journal articles
Holdom, T., Nichol, A., Ives, B. (2024) 'Recognising, addressing and supporting the challenging nature of community sport coaching work: potential ways forward for research and practice.' Sports Coaching Review, pp. 1-12.
Ives, B., Penney, D., O'Gorman, J., Potrac, P., Nichol, A., Nelson, L. (2023) 'Investigating policy enactment in community sport coaching: directions for future research.' Sports Coaching Review,
Nelson, L., Shulman, D., Potrac, P., Gale, L., Ives, B. 'Maintaining Professional Face: Deceptive Impression Management in Community Sport Coaching.' Sport, Education and Society,
Ives, B., Clayton, B., Gale, L., Taylor, W., Leeder, T., Nichol, A.J. (2024) '‘I’m not the police’: practical strategies for sport coach mentors to develop trust and trustworthiness.' Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 16(2) pp. 151-166.
Gale, L.A., Ives, B.A., Potrac, P.A., Nelson, L.J. (2022) 'Repairing relationship conflict in community sport work: “Offender” perspectives.' Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 15(3) pp. 417-430.
Ives, B.A., Gale, L.A., Potrac, P.A., Nelson, L.J. (2021) 'Uncertainty, Shame and Consumption: Negotiating Occupational and Non-Work Identities in Community Sports Coaching.' Sport, Education and Society, 26(1) pp. 87-103.
Ives, B., Clayton, B., Brittain, I., Mackintosh, C. (2019) '‘I’ll always find a perfectly justified reason for not doing it’: challenges for disability sport and physical activity in the United Kingdom.' Sport in Society, 24(4) pp. 588-606.
Gale, L.A., Ives, B., Potrac, P., Nelson, L. (2019) 'Trust and Distrust in Community Sports Work: Tales from the "Shop Floor".' Sociology of Sport Journal, 36(3) pp. 244-253.
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Presentations
Ives, B., Gale, L. (2019) Reading Football Club Community Trust Social Impact Report: A Qualitative Investigation. [Presentation] Madejski Stadium, Reading,6/9/2019.
Ives, B., Gale, L., Potrac, P., Nelson, L. (2018) ‘I just wanted to snap’: Exploring anger in community sport coaching. [Presentation] CRiC Coaching in the Community Symposium, Manchester, UK.,3/9/2018.
Ives, B., Gale, L., Potrac, P., Nelson, L. (2017) A community sports coach’s lived experience of enacting sport policy … a snapshot. [Presentation] UK Sports Development Network Conference, Plymouth, UK.,1/11/2017.
Ives, B., Gale, L., Potrac, P., Nelson, L. (2017) The interplay between identity, workplace relations, and emotion in community sports coaching … our findings so far. [Presentation] CRiC 4th International Coaching Conference, Cardiff, UK.,1/9/2017.
Career history
2021-present
Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching, Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University
2019-2021
Lecturer in Sport Coaching, Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University
2015-2019
Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching, Buckinghamshire New University
2012-2015
Graduate Teaching Assistant in Sport Coaching and Performance, University of Hull