The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of expert coaches on the key elements for building their successful programs. Five female expert Canadian university coaches of team sports were individually interviewed with an open-ended approach. Data were analysed inductively, following the guidelines of Cote, Salmela, Baria, and Russell (1993) and of Cote, Salmela, and Russell (1995). The results of the analysis identified four key elements for the building of a successful program. First, coaches possessed a variety of personal attributes that enabled them to display appropriate leadership. Second, coaches possessed thorough organisational skills from which they set goals, planned the season, and prepared their team for games. Third, coaches had a personal desire to foster their players' individual growth, by empowering them and teaching them life skills. Finally, the aforementioned elements were interrelated and linked together by the coaches' vision, without which success was unlikely. Data also showed the correspondence of these four elements with a transformational leadership style that has been successfully used in business, military, industry, and educational settings.

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