This study aims to investigate the perception of trainers on official football courses regarding the development of leadership knowledge and competencies in coaches’ teaching learning process. Understanding the Union of European Football Association trainers’ perception of the importance and role of leadership knowledge and competencies in football is fundamental in order to raise the quality in preparing future coaches. A qualitative approach was adopted by conducting semi-structured interviews with Union of European Football Association trainers in Portugal. The data were subject to content analysis using NVivo software; the following three dimensions of leadership were observed: knowledge, training, and competencies. The results revealed that trainers recognise the importance of the three dimensions analysed, emphasising the relevance of leadership competencies in improving coaches’ interventions. The trainers also highlighted the need for coaches to develop effective communication skills, the capacity to make decisions under pressure, and interpersonal skills to lead football teams efficiently. In addition, they reinforced the importance of coaches’ continuous training, encouraging them to seek learning opportunities in this field of knowledge. They suggest that coaches must be able to adapt to different contexts and learn from practical experience. These results have practical implications for football coaches’ training and development, namely the need to reflect on current training programmes.
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Trainers’ Perceptions on the Development of Leadership Knowledge and Competencies on Official Union of European Football Associations Football Coach Courses
Lourival Vianna da Silva Neto, Dina Alexandra Marques Miragaia, Sergio José Ibáñez, and Ana Paula Braga Garcez
Exploring the Perceived Barriers of Effective Communication Within the Coach–Athlete Relationship: A Sample of Scandinavian Coaches and Athletes
Louise Davis, Svenja Wachsmuth, Sophia Jowett, Petteri Räisänen, Kendal Hajo, Niclas Nordberg, and Marius Sommer
Coaching is a process that guides development and is shaped by sound relationships between athletes and coaches. Interpersonal communication represents a mechanism for developing functional relationships. However, not all interactions between coaches and athletes are optimal, and limited research has attempted to understand the factors that impede the ability to engage in effective communication. This study aimed to contribute to the literature by exploring the barriers experienced by high-performance coaches and athletes that hinder interpersonal communication within the coach–athlete relationship. A qualitative design grounded in a pragmatic philosophical position was utilised, and 20 semistructured interviews with 12 coaches and eight athletes participating in elite team sports were carried out. Interviews were conducted either in person or digitally via an online platform and analysed through content analysis. Barriers were identified for either coaches, athletes, or both and categorised as follows: (a) intrapersonal (e.g., lack of skills and negative experiences), (b) interpersonal (e.g., lack of concern/interest and power imbalance), and (c) environmental factors (e.g., hierarchy and toxic culture). These results suggest efforts should be focused on equipping coaches and athletes with intra- and interpersonal skills and empowering them to co-create a safe and united culture for themselves and their sport.
The Moderating Effect of Youth Sports Coaches’ Identities on Their Professional Knowledge Orientations: A Social Network Perspective
Reut Liraz and Ori Eyal
The present study used social network analysis to investigate the moderating effect of individuals’ identities on the relationship between the structure of their networks and professional knowledge orientations (exploitation, exploration, and ambidexterity). It examined the ego networks of Israeli youth soccer coaches (N = 88) based on their vocational and personal sources of knowledge, including sportive, personal development, and friendship networks. The findings indicate that youth soccer coaches’ sportive identity embeddedness enhances their knowledge exploitation even when they have access to nonredundant, new, and versatile knowledge. But in the case of lower levels of athlete identity and nonredundant versatile networks, youth soccer coaches display ambidexterity by exploring novelty while relying on their familiar past knowledge and routines. Overall, the study describes the challenges of a single salient identity and points out the importance of cultivating diverse networks and multiple identities to facilitate effective and sustainable knowledge acquisition and utilisation for long-term professional advancement.
“There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Approach”: Challenges and Strategies Coaching Preschooler Sport in Canada
Meghan Harlow and Jessica Fraser-Thomas
Coaches are seminal figures within sport, playing a key role in youths’ development, particularly when their approach and practices suit the age and context in which they are coaching. However, little is known about coaches’ experiences within early years (<6) sport. This case study examined coaches’ experiences in early years sport, revealing challenges-faced and strategies drawn-upon for effective coaching. Semistructured interviews with 10 coaches (M age = 37.8; 7 male) leading multisport, soccer, dance, rugby, hockey, and t-ball programming to children 2–5 years contributed insights. Key challenges included children’s resistance to participate and varied ability levels; however, these were mitigated by creative best practices focused on age-appropriate delivery (e.g., use of stories/imagination, “classroom” management). Notably, effective strategies were often offered by coaches from private and club-based programs, whereas community-based volunteer coaches received less age-specific training and resources and had more turnover. Broader societal-level challenges related to parental expectations and pressures were also discussed. Findings highlight early years sport as a unique context in which interpersonal and intrapersonal coaching knowledge appear most critical. Identified best practices may support early years sport coaches in their day-to-day roles while highlighting the importance of preparing all early years sport coaches to deliver effective age-appropriate programming.
What Do High-Performance Football Coaches Need to Know About the Coach–Athlete Relationship? Implications for Formal Coach Education
Andrew Newland, Colum Cronin, Gillian Cook, and Amy Whitehead
A high-quality coach–athlete (C–A) relationship improves athlete well-being and performance but has been underrepresented in formal coach education. Eleven football coaches, working in some of the highest profile positions in England, were interviewed. We investigate to what extent their formal coach education experiences influenced their understanding of the C–A relationship. We explore their perceptions of the knowledge, relating to the C–A relationship, that could be included in formal coach education courses. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 coaches. Inductive reflexive thematic analysis generated the following five themes: (a) an incongruence between the importance of the C–A relationship and its prominence in coach education, (b) interpersonal competencies and a progressive approach to the C–A relationship, (c) understand the unique needs of high-performance athletes, and (d) build a culture conducive to high-quality C–A relationships. Findings demonstrate the C–A relationship is underrepresented in the main English FA Coaching Pathway and provides insights into the knowledge that could be incorporated into courses to meet the needs of coaches. Future research should explore the athlete’s perspective, relating to the knowledge coaches require to develop high-quality C–A relationships within high-performance football settings.
Erratum. A Nordic Ski Coach’s Learning Journey Towards Creating More Inclusive and Safer Sport
International Sport Coaching Journal
INTERNATIONAL SPORT COACHING JOURNAL
DIGEST, Volume 11 Issue 3
Volume 11 (2024): Issue 3 (Sep 2024)
Psychological Safety: A Qualitative Study on Coach and Athlete Perceptions
Michael Cooke, Kyle F. Paradis, Lee Ann Sharp, David Woods, and Mustafa Sarkar
Aims: The concept of psychological safety has received growing interest within a sport context in recent years. Despite a small but growing body of literature, there is still a lack of conceptual clarity, and thus research is needed to gain a better understanding of how psychological safety manifests in sport. Existing literature suggests psychological safety may allow for positive outcomes in various sport settings. As this may be of interest to many coaches and sporting organisations, a deeper evidence base will prove beneficial for further support to this claim. The aim of the current study was to garner conceptual clarity by gathering coach and athlete perceptions of psychological safety in high-performance pathway sport environments. Methods: Qualitative findings of six focus groups with coaches (two focus groups) and athletes (four focus groups) were comprised of four sports (association football, boxing, field hockey, and swimming). A total of 25 participants included 18 athletes (M age = 19.6 years; M experience = 10.6 years) and seven coaches (M age = 45 years; M experience = 19.6 years) who discussed psychological safety within their high-performance pathway sport environment. Focus groups lasted from 36 to 78 minutes (M length = 56 min). Qualitative content analysis was utilised to categorise themes identified from the focus groups. Findings: Findings offer a conceptualisation of the defining attributes (e.g., freedom to speak freely and raise issues), antecedents (e.g., positional competition, selection, and deselection), and outcomes (e.g., positive climate and enjoyment of sport) of psychological safety in sport settings. One of the key takeaways within the findings suggests that psychological safety in a sport context may manifest in a dual process, namely on-field (e.g., the freedom to take risks) and off-field (e.g., the freedom to speak freely and raise issues).
A Nordic Ski Coach’s Learning Journey Towards Creating More Inclusive and Safer Sport
Sara Kramers, Sophie Carrier-Laforte, and Martin Camiré
Competitive youth sport coaches who aim to foster inclusive and safer sport often face challenges from their peers, their organisations, and the sociocultural systems in their contexts. A personal learning coach may support coaches’ critical awareness, reflection, and readiness for working towards changing their youth sport contexts. This study details a 15-month collaboration, as Sara acted as a personal learning coach to support Sophie’s critical praxis as they reflected on social issues and experienced shifts in their coaching towards creating more inclusive and safer sport. Grounded in a narrative inquiry methodology, two virtual interviews and 11 virtual meetings occurred. Sara and Sophie also shared reflections through messages and voice notes and one in-person meeting during one of Sophie’s training sessions. Through time-hopping snapshot vignettes, Sophie’s learning journey is presented as they attempt to figure out what to fight for, grow through discomforts and unknowns, and experience progress. Sophie believed that their “mind shifted” towards becoming a “better coach” throughout the collaboration, developing their critical consciousness to change oppressive social conditions in sport. By sharing insights from the collaboration, the study provides vivid examples of the steps coaches and sport stakeholders can take to become more confident in enacting positive change in sport.