Sports Coaching – Page 4 – The Sport Journal

Mental Toughness in Coaching: A Functional Definition Determined by Elite Coaches

Authors: William Steffen¹, Conrad Woolsey², Ronald Quinn³, Brandon Spradley⁴

Affiliations: ¹Wingate University, ²University of Western States, ³Xavier University, ⁴United States Sports Academy

Corresponding Author:
Dr. Brandon Spradley
Chair of Sports Management
United States Sports Academy
One Academy Drive
Daphne, Alabama 36526
bspradley@ussa.edu
251-626-3303

Dr. Bill Steffen is an Assistant Professor of Sport Science at Wingate University and serves as the Chair of the United Soccer Coaches Ethics Committee and a Senior National Staff Coach. Dr. Steffen won two NCAA National Championships in women’s soccer while coaching at the University of North Carolina and has 28 years of NCAA coaching experience, in addition to playing professional soccer for five years.

Dr. Conrad Woolsey is the Director of Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Western States. As a nationally recognized expert in the field of sport and performance psychology he is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Sport Psychology Registry.

Dr. Ronald Quinn is the Director of MEd in Coaching Education & Athlete Development at Xavier University. Dr. Quinn is considered a leading authority in youth soccer and coaching education presenting at prestigious national and international conferences.

Dr. Brandon Spradley is the Chair of Sports Management and an Associate Professor at the United States Sports Academy. Dr. Spradley was a four-time NCAA regional qualifier and a two-time NCAA national qualifier in track and field running on nationally ranked relay teams for The University of Alabama.

Mental Toughness in Coaching

ABSTRACT

Researchers have explored the mental toughness that is associated with elite athletes as a concept relating to specific activities and sports; however, there is limited research concerning mental toughness among elite coaches. This study expanded previous research by investigating elite coaches’ (N=22) perspectives of what attributes were most important for defining mental toughness in coaching. Results of coaching focus groups interviews yielded several themes which were incorporated into a definition of mental toughness of a coach. Mental toughness of a coach is a complex interaction of several characteristics: (1) a determined mindset; (2) resiliency; (3) confidence; and (4) a strong belief in the coach’s system, processes, and actions; all of these characteristics result in consistent behaviors and emotional responses. Coaches were asked to list attributes that they felt were descriptive of the ideal mentally tough coach. Their list included confident, resilient, consistent, positive spirit, energetic, passionate, optimistic, adaptable, possessing inner strength, and patient. These attributes were discussed in consideration of coaches’ rationale for these choices. Examining mental toughness can positively assist coaches seeking to become the best they can be.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-03-04T09:38:11-06:00March 20th, 2020|Research, Sports Coaching|Comments Off

NCAA Realignment: Impact upon University ‘Olympic’ Sports

Authors: Stephen W. Litvin, Crystal Lindner and Jillian Wilkie

Corresponding Author:
Stephen W. Litvin, DBA
Professor, School of Business
College of Charleston
66 George Street
Charleston, South Carolina 29424
litvins@cofc.edu
843-953-7317

Stephen Litvin is a professor in the School of Business of the College of Charleston. Crystal Lindner and Jillian Wilkie are students at the College of Charleston and Research Assistants within the School’s Office of Tourism Analysis.

NCAA Realignment: Impact upon University ‘Olympic’ Sports

ABSTRACT

Conference realignment has in recent years led to a “case of intercollegiate musical chairs” (2, p. 254). This research paper looks at the issue from a new perspective. While past research has almost exclusively focused on football, this research considers the impact that affiliation change has upon universities’ non-football sports. The findings suggest the move has been challenging for these teams.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-06-02T13:43:56-05:00January 24th, 2020|Sports Coaching, Sports Management|Comments Off

The Association Between High School Coach’s Leadership Behaviors and Athletes’ Self-Efficacy and Grit

Authors: Dr. Katarii U. Donald, Dr. Stephen R. Marvin, Dr. Aarek W. Farmer and Dr. Karen Cypress

Corresponding Author:
Katarii U. Donald, Ed. D
3144 Knight lane 101
Memphis, TN, 38115
donaldk@scsk12.org
901-281-9010

Dr. Katarii Donald is the Athletic Director at a T-Stem High School in Memphis and is also a Head Football Coach.

The Association Between High School Coach’s Leadership Behaviors and Athletes’ Self-Efficacy and Grit

ABSTRACT

This quantitative study sought to determine the relationship between a coach’s leadership behaviors and their athletes’ self-efficacy and grit. Specifically, the goal was to determine whether behaviors informed by (a) training and instruction, (b) democratic behavior, (c) autocratic behavior, (d) social support, or (e) positive feedback of a coach impacted the student-athlete. The relationship between athletes and coaches is important and can influence an athletes’ athletic performance. This research investigated the effects of this relationship on the student-athletes’ self-efficacy and grit. Data were collected from 197 college students from a public university in a rural area in the southern portion of the United States. The findings indicated that student-athletes’ perceptions of their former high school coaches’ leadership behaviors significantly influenced their self-efficacy and grit. Implications for practice highlighted the importance of the student-athlete and coach relationship and how this relationship can positively impact self-efficacy and grit.

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U.S. Sports Academy2019-10-28T14:01:58-05:00July 19th, 2019|Research, Sports Coaching|Comments Off

The Role of Emotion in Sport Coaching: A Review of the Literature

Authors: Eric D. Magrum, Bryan A. McCullick

Corresponding Author:
Eric D. Magrum
University of Georgia
Department of Kinesiology
219 Ramsey Center
Athens, GA 30602
Magrum@uga.edu
419-356-8541

Eric D. Magrum is doctoral student at the University of Georgia.

The Role of Emotion in Sport Coaching: A Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper was to review the literature regarding the role of emotion in sport coaching and identify avenues for future studies. SPORTDiscus, ERIC, PsycArticles, PsychINFO, and SocINDEX databases were mined using combinations of the following keywords: ‘emotion,’ ‘coach,’ and ‘coaching’ for articles pertaining to the role of emotion in sport coaching. The search resulted in 23 peer-reviewed articles and a thematic analysis revealed four groups of studies focused on emotion and its role in: a) coach effectiveness, b) coach-athlete interaction, c) development of emotional intelligence, and d) navigating job related stress, pressure and burnout. Key findings of the included studies indicated coaches are more effective if they are able to recognize and comprehend their emotions, those of others, and the probable after-effects of their relations. Furthermore, it appears that emotional competence may be an essential skill for coaching effectiveness. Future research should aim to identify and develop the social, emotional, and coping skills underpinning coach effectiveness. Moreover, researchers should examine the relationship between coaches’ emotional skills, coaching effectiveness, talent identification, recruitment, and coaching expertise.

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U.S. Sports Academy2019-05-23T08:00:27-05:00May 23rd, 2019|Sports Coaching|Comments Off

Comparison of Coinciding Anticipation Timing and Reaction Time Performances of Adolescent Female Volleyball Players in Different Playing Positions

Authors:Ahmet Rahmi Günay * (1), Halil Ibrahim Ceylan (2), Filiz Fatma Çolakoğolu (3), Özcan Saygın (4)

(1, 2, 4) Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Turkey. (3) Gazi University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Turkey.

Corresponding Author:
Halil Ibrahim Ceylan, Research Assistant
Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Faculty of Sports Sciences
Kotekli/Mugla, 48000
halil.ibrahimceylan60@gmail.com
002522111951

(1) Ahmet Rahmi Günay is a lecturer and doctoral student at the Gazi University studying Health and Coaching Sciences. He is also a Volleyball trainer.

(2) Halil İbrahim Ceylan is a Research Assistant and doctoral student at the Mugla Sitki Kocman University studying Health and Coaching Sciences.

(3) Filiz Fatma Çolakoğlu is a Professor at the Gazi University studying Training Sciences.

(4) Ozcan Saygin is a Professor in Sports Exercise Science at the Mugla Sitki Kocman University studying physical activity and fitness

Comparison of Coinciding Anticipation Timing and Reaction Time Performances of Adolescent Female Volleyball Players in Different Playing Positions

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to compare coinciding anticipation timing (CAT) and reaction time performance of adolescent female volleyball players in different playing positions. Twenty-eight adolescent volleyball players (14 Outside players and 14 Middle players), who played volleyball in licensed infrastructure leagues and trained 5 days a week regularly, with an average age of 15.0 ± 0.94 years, participated voluntarily. A Bassin Anticipation Timer was used to measure the CAT performance of the volleyball players at different stimulation speeds: Slow- 3 mph (1.34 m/s) and Fast- 8 mph (3.58 m/s). Visual, auditory, and mixed reaction times were measured with the Newtest 1000 Instrument. When the absolute error scores of volleyball players were compared according to playing positions, a statistically significant difference was found in the fast speed condition (t = -2.090, p = .047). A statistically significant difference was also observed in the mixed reaction time scores (t = -2.163, p = .040). Middle players had better CAT scores in the Fast condition and mixed reaction time performances than outside players. This is thought to be due to the different responsibilities of middle players in the game as compared with outside players. Because both offensive combinations and block responsibilities are more diversified for Middle players, CAT and reaction time performance of middle players are of greater importance. In order to reach top level performance, it is thought that a number of special exercises, in addition to volleyball training, should be done to improve the CAT performance. It is recommended to repeat the research in different age groups, different categories and different positions.

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U.S. Sports Academy2019-01-10T15:43:26-06:00January 10th, 2019|Commentary, Sports Coaching|Comments Off