Xs and Os and What the Coach Knows: Improving Team Strategy through Critical Thinking
in The Sport PsychologistClick name to view affiliation
Critical thinking can be defined most simply as thinking that assesses itself (Paul, 1995). We explored the degree to which coaches engage in critical thinking about strategy. We used Brookfield’s (1995) critical thinking model to examine coaches’ strategic thinking processes. The merit of the model as a tool to facilitate research and intervention in team sports was considered. We examined whether identifying and examining paradigmatic, prescriptive, and causal assumptions, as well as exploring alternatives for thinking and acting, can improve team strategy. The results provide examples of these various conceptual categories. The data support the use of Brookfield’s (1995) model for understanding and intervening with coaches and athletes. Examples of how sport psychology and performance enhancement consultants might use this model in their work are offered.
William Strean, Kim L. Senecal, and Stephen G. Howlett are all with the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, and J. Mark Burgess is with the Department of Psychology, at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H9.
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