scholarly journals The Coach–Athlete Relationship in Strength and Conditioning: High Performance Athletes’ Perceptions

Sports ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Foulds ◽  
Samantha M. Hoffmann ◽  
Kris Hinck ◽  
Fraser Carson
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Table Tennis ◽  
Field Hockey ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Strength And Conditioning

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate high performance athlete perceptions of strength and conditioning coaches, specifically, (1) their character traits, (2) the effective behaviours that display these traits, and (3) how these relationships were fostered. Using the 3+1 C’s model of coach–athlete relationships as a framework (Jowett, 2007), 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with high performance athletes (six female; six male) representing a variety of sports (i.e., freestyle wrestling, triathlon, field hockey, cycling, rowing, rugby union, netball, table tennis, and ice hockey). Participants ranged in age from 18 to 53 years (M = 29, SD = 9). Interviews took between 19–47 min and were transcribed verbatim. The transcripts equated to a total of 188 pages of data that were analyzed, coded, and further grouped into higher-order themes and general dimensions. The findings revealed 14 higher-order themes categorized under the 3+1 C’s general dimensions of closeness, commitment, complementarity, and co-orientation.

scholarly journals “Active” and “Passive” Coach Pathways: Elite Athletes’ Entry Routes Into High-Performance Coaching Roles

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander David Blackett ◽  
Adam B. Evans ◽  
David Piggott
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Fast Track ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Career Trajectory ◽  
Performance Coaching ◽  
Athletic Coaching ◽  
Former Elite Athletes ◽  
Athletic Career

This study sought to analyse the lived experiences of so-called “fast-tracked” coaches from men’s association football and rugby union by seeking to understand how these individuals prepared for and then transitioned into a post-athletic coaching career. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 male coaches. All participants were former elite athletes and had followed a fast-tracked pathway into their current post-athletic coaching roles. Participants were based in England and had retired from an athletic career within 12 months of being interviewed. Two general categories of “active” and “passive” coach pathways were identified for the career trajectory. Active coaches purposefully prepared for a coaching career during their athletic careers, whereas passive coaches did not. Passive coaches’ decisions to become a coach were often reactive and made after retiring from a competitive athletic career. Results indicate that only the career trajectory of passive coaches reflects a fast-track pathway. None of the active or passive coaches negotiated any formalised recruitment processes into their first post-athletic coaching roles. The suggestion is that prejudicial recruitment practices are enacted by senior club management which creates a homogenous coaching workforce. This furthers the need for greater governance of high-performance coach recruitment within England for these sports.

scholarly journals “Why Did I Really Want to Coach? To Help Girls”:

10.29173/mm8 ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 2-25
Author(s):  
Alanna Fittes
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Women Coaches ◽  
International Level ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Disciplinary Power ◽  
The World ◽  
Woman Leader

The purpose of this study was to investigate women coaches’ experiences in high-performance rugby union. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four women who had experience coaching at the representative, university, and/or international level. Informed by a Foucauldian feminism, the analysis revealed how disciplinary power, the formation of dominant knowledges, and the pervasiveness of surveillance operated in a deeply masculine environment of high-performance rugby. This study provides an in-depth examination of femininity, masculinity, and what it means to be a woman leader in the world of high-performance rugby union.

scholarly journals “Is It Overtraining or Just Work Ethic?”: Coaches’ Perceptions of Overtraining in High-Performance Strength Sports

Sports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Lee Bell ◽  
Alan Ruddock ◽  
Tom Maden-Wilkinson ◽  
Dave Hembrough ◽  
David Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Performance ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Diagnostic Symptoms ◽  
Careful Manipulation ◽  
Sport Coaches

Optimal physical performance is achieved through the careful manipulation of training and recovery. Short-term increases in training demand can induce functional overreaching (FOR) that can lead to improved physical capabilities, whereas nonfunctional overreaching (NFOR) or the overtraining syndrome (OTS) occur when high training-demand is applied for extensive periods with limited recovery. To date, little is known about the OTS in strength sports, particularly from the perspective of the strength sport coach. Fourteen high-performance strength sport coaches from a range of strength sports (weightlifting; n = 5, powerlifting; n = 4, sprinting; n = 2, throws; n = 2, jumps; n = 1) participated in semistructured interviews (mean duration 57; SD = 10 min) to discuss their experiences of the OTS. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the identification of four higher order themes: definitions, symptoms, recovery and experiences and observations. Additional subthemes were created to facilitate organisation and presentation of data, and to aid both cohesiveness of reporting and publicising of results. Participants provided varied and sometimes dichotomous perceptions of the OTS and proposed a multifactorial profile of diagnostic symptoms. Prevalence of OTS within strength sports was considered low, with the majority of participants not observing or experiencing long-term reductions in performance with their athletes.

Coach Education in Ireland: Observations and Considerations for High Performance

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 29-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunnhild Bertz ◽  
Laura Purdy
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Institutional Evolution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Education Development ◽  
Coach Education ◽  
Know How ◽  
Sources Of Knowledge ◽  
Performance Coaching ◽  
Formal Recognition

The high-performance sports system is a rapidly evolving and increasingly important element of the Irish sporting landscape reflected in public policy, the direction and level of spending, and organisational/institutional evolution – all signalling a formal recognition of the high-performance sector as central to sport in Ireland. While certain aspects of high-performance sport in Ireland are beginning to be reflected in research (e.g., Guerin et al. 2008), this is yet to be extended to high performance coaching. The education, development, and support of coaches are key areas of the Coaching Strategy for Ireland (2008-2012). An understanding of high-performance coach activities and needs will become increasingly vital in underpinning the effectiveness of resources directed at high-performance coaching as Ireland seeks to reposition itself within the world’s elite in sport. The purpose of this article is to better understand the development of high-performance coaches in Ireland and the key influences on this (e.g., exposure to different coaching environments, sources of knowledge, and preferred ways of learning). It aims to explore what high-performance coaches believe has been most important in developing and fostering their coaching ‘know-how,’1 and what this may imply for future educational interventions for high-performance coaches. This article brings to light insights generated through semi-structured interviews with 10 high-performance coaches currently and/or recently working in Irish sport.

Why are companies still struggling to reach higher continuous improvement maturity levels? Empirical evidence from high performance companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Jurburg ◽  
Elisabeth Viles ◽  
Carmen Jaca ◽  
Martin Tanco
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Measurement System ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing

Purpose – Continuous improvement (CI) is regarded as a powerful approach to achieve business excellence. However, the implementation is not simple as it involves managing a considerable amount of tangible and intangible factors throughout the whole organization. The purpose of this paper is to fill the gap by presenting first-hand information about how companies really implement and organize their CI processes. Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on semi-structured interviews in ten high performing companies in the Basque Country, a region in northern Spain well known for its business quality. The objective was to analyze the state of their CI processes, putting special focus on how the organizational structure integrates with the CI processes and what are the characteristics of the corresponding measurement system. Findings – The study shows a lack of company-wide focus on CI, little written evidence of previous improvement activities, unclear improvement process owner, and poor use of adequate measurement systems to monitor CI. Practical implications – Managers should understand that is not enough to guarantee their own commitment and provide the structure, since in order to become learning organization, a different holistic approach towards the CI process must be adopted. Originality/value – While most previous work on this field have focused primarily on how to implement different techniques in order to achieve better productive performance, this study presents empirical research from a more holistic approach, assessing the characteristics affecting CI by considering strategy, structure, and the measurement system.

The Wood Composite Materials of Table Tennis Bat and Batting Techniques

2012 ◽  
Vol 583 ◽  
pp. 49-52
Author(s):  
Zhong Hai Wang ◽  
Ru Jian Yuan ◽  
Xiao Bing Fan
Keyword(s):  
Composite Materials ◽  
Material Science ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Technical Innovation ◽  
Wood Composite ◽  
Table Tennis ◽  
Tennis Racket

With the table tennis technical innovation and improvement of science, high-performance materials are used to manufacture of table tennis plate floor and help athletes have achieved better results. This article elaborated the wood composite materials’s impact on batting techniques through the analysis of the function of table tennis racket floor and its structure and capacity based on material science for provide the reference on manufacturing and selecting of table tennis racket.

A Framework for the Physical Development of Elite Rugby Union Players

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant M. Duthie
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Physical Performance ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Physical Development ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Performance Models ◽  
Elite Player ◽  
Physical Preparation

Increased professionalism in rugby has resulted in national unions developing high-performance models for elite player development, of which physical preparation is an important component, to ensure success in future years. This article presents a 5-step framework for the physical preparation of elite players in a development program. Competition movement patterns and the physical profiles of elite players are used as the basis of the framework and reinforce the repeated high-intensity nature of Rugby Union. Physical profiling highlights a player’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of strength, speed, endurance, and body composition. These qualities need to be managed with an understanding of their interaction. This framework should be implemented within the yearly plan to ensure that benefits are maximized from the training undertaken. The success of the framework in developing elite players’ progression can be evaluated using standardized physical, performance, and competency tests.

The Impact of MCAST Apprentices on Insurance Companies Operating in Malta - A Manager’s Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-153
Author(s):  
Joseph Schembri
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Insurance Firms ◽  
The Impact

This study probes the MCAST insurance apprenticeship scheme and the impact of apprentices on the local insurance companies, acting as sponsors. This study is of particular relevance since the local insurance firms are experiencing growth but have the challenge of employee turnover and skills shortage. This research study investigates the work-based learning experience of students, the mentoring of apprentices and the supervising procedures adopted by MCAST and the insurance firms. The purpose is to analyse the impact of MCAST trainees on local insurance firms and depict practical recommendations to ameliorate the learning experience of the apprentices. The recommendations emanating from this study, assist MCAST to develop high-performance apprenticeship schemes and assist the local insurance industry, in the recruiting and training of young employees. This qualitative research gathers data through nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews and adopts the Grounded Theory Methodology to address the research problem and attain the stated objectives. The researcher adopts the constructivist approach incorporating an inductive and abductive stance. The findings emanating from the data illustrate the need to promote the insurance industry as a provider of stable and fulfilling careers with the possibility of job mobility. MCAST and the insurance firms need to enhance their collaboration to promote the insurance apprenticeship, among young learners, even at secondary level. An overhaul of the mentoring and supervising approach is needed to provide a work-based learning experience of excellence to MCAST apprentices. MCAST apprenticeship is considered by the insurance executives as the best training opportunity to recruit skilled workers and create networks. The scheme is cost effective to the firms and is considered as a long-term investment in human resources. A well-planned strategy to enhance collaboration and share knowledge between the leading VET provider of the Maltese Islands and the insurance industry is required for the benefit of the apprentices who are the future employees of the local insurance firms.

Bridging the gap between sport science and coaching: A qualitative analysis of perceptions of South African coaches

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
Alliance Kubayi ◽  
Yoga Coopoo ◽  
Abel Toriola
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sport Science ◽  
Wide Gap ◽  
Sport And Recreation ◽  
Sport Coaches ◽  
High Performance Level

There exists a wide gap between coaches’ needs and the information that is being disseminated by sport scientists. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine coaches’ perceptions concerning this bridging the knowledge gap between sport science and coaching in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight high-performance sport coaches aged 24 to 42 years (M age = 33.50, SD = 6.44 years). Coaches participated in the study if they met the following selection criteria: (1) coaching a priority sport recommended by Sport and Recreation South Africa and (2) having been in coaching for at least five years at a high-performance level. Following a thematic analysis of the transcripts, the following three broad themes emerged: (1) sources of coaching knowledge, (2) barriers to sport science support, and (3) coaches’ thoughts about knowledge transfer. Recommendations on strategies to close the gap between sport scientists and coaches are provided.

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