“. . . Didn’t Only Change My Coaching, Changed My Life”: Coaches’ Use of Sport Psychology for Their Own Development and Performance

in The Sport Psychologist

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Tammy Sheehy West Virginia University

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Sam Zizzi West Virginia University

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Kristen Dieffenbach West Virginia University

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Lee-Ann Sharp University of Ulster

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2018-0061
Keywords:
coach development; coach education; high performance; performance enhancement; sport psychology consulting
In Print:
Volume 33: Issue 2
Page Range:
137–147
Restricted access

This study examined the experiences of 8 high-performance coaches (male n = 6) from a range of sports who have worked with a sport psychology consultant (SPC) for their own performance enhancement as coaches. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, each participant engaged in 2 semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis of the data elicited 8 higher-order themes related to the research questions. Impetus themes included buy-in and opportunity. Benefits coaches felt they received included themes of facilitating self-awareness, performance enhancement, enhancing interactions, and friendship development. Barrier themes included lack of resources and stigma. This research gives the field of applied sport psychology insight into how SPCs and high-performance coaches navigate working together in support of the coaches’ performance and professional development.

Sheehy, Zizzi, and Dieffenbach are with the Dept. of Sport Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Sharp is with the Academy of Sport, University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom.

Sheehy (tlsheehy@mix.wvu.edu) is corresponding author.
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