Jaakko Mikkola as a professional coach, 1924

Authors

• Kalle Rantala Jyväskylän yliopisto

Abstract

Professional sports coaching in Finland began in the 1920s as coaches were hired to prepare athletes for the Olympic Games. In this article, the work of the first Finnish professional track and field coach Jaakko Mikkola is analysed. The empirical analysis focuses on the preparation for the Olympic Games of Paris 1924. The main documents analysed in the article are letters sent by Mikkola during this preparation. The information from the letters is empirically categorised and analysed with coaching literature and sport newspapers from 1920–1924. The key foci of Mikkola’s work were to give training instruction to athletes, to deliver gear and equipment and to organise massage treatments and proper training facilities. An important cornerstone for the preparation was to arrange financial opportunities for athletes to exercise in a professional manner, even though this was partly against amateur rules. Mikkola took care of athletes’ well-being, and during his time, the coaching culture was holistic.