Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / Coaches have been found to have a remarkable influence on the physical and psychological development on their athletes and that their main responsibility is to help their athletes perform at their maximum level and reach goals that they could not attain on their own. Coaches are responsible for developing athletes’ mental, physical, technical, and tactical abilities, and in addition to all of these responsibilities, they are also expected to win. The coach-athlete relationship can thus be regarded as the conveying of technical skills and mentoring from coach to athlete. Despite the responsibilities of a coach, the athlete-coach relationship is fundamental in the process of coaching because its nature is likely to determine the athlete’s satisfaction, self-esteem and performance accomplishments. The aim of this study was to investigate female university track and field athletes’ lived experiences within the athlete-coach relationship to gather psychological effects relating to performance. The objectives were to explore the lived experiences of female university athletes within the athlete-coach relationship, investigate the psychological effects, and explore the impact it has on performance within the athlete-coach relationship. The researcher adopted the qualitative research method approach using the phenomenology design to explore and obtain a better understanding into the psychological effects of the athlete-coach relationship on an athletes’ performance. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. Following the interviews, all data was analyzed using the 3+1C’s conceptualized model as the theoretical framework. This model was used as it defines the coach-athlete relationship as a situation in which coaches and athletes’ closeness, commitment, and complementarity are co-orientated. The 3+1C’s model explored the athlete-coach relationship from the athlete’s perspective which elicited positive and negative psychological and performance effects within the athlete-coach dyad. The research findings of this thesis it can be concluded that the behaviours of coaches have an influence on female athletes’ psychological state as well as performance; and found that when coaches and athletes work together to achieve goals the relationship is more likely to be successful and the athlete is more likely to achieve goals. Furthermore it was concluded that affective emotional feelings of female University athletes are important in developing an effective athlete-coach relationship and facilitating positive psychological effects.

Esta dissertação de Mestrado se ocupa da compreensão simbólica da trajetória do técnico do voleibol, relacionada com a figura mítica de Quíron e seus atletas, avaliando a importância do técnico como elemento fundamental para a construção do atleta. Este último, por suas muitas similaridades com o mito do herói, passa a ser entendido como uma figura ímpar, com o quê podemos entender suas façanhas. Sincronicamente, o atleta, por representar uma condição heroica, reclama pela presença fundamental de um mestre em sua formação. O mestre se atualiza na figura do treinador, aproximando-se e amplificando esta visão com o mito de Quíron. Destas associações decorrem elementos básicos para a melhor compreensão do desenvolvimento e estruturação de personalidade do atleta, embasando o aprimoramento do seu rendimento. Do encontro simbólico do técnico-mestre com seu atleta-herói, estuda-se o fenômeno da liderança, ampliado com mitologemas em que personagens líderes se fazem presentes. A par da amplificação mítica, a dissertação buscou elementos, para melhor compreensão da presente temática, em dados biográficos decorrentes de entrevistas com três técnicos do voleibol brasileiro, medalhistas olímpicos como jogadores ou técnicos: Bebeto de Freitas, Bernardinho e Giovane. No mito do herói são descritos sua origem, sua natureza, características de personalidade, condições de nascimento e morte, seus trabalhos e ritos iniciáticos, além de sua importância civilizatória. No mito de Quíron, descrito de forma detalhada, retoma-se a temática de sua origem, seu nascimento, sua criação e recebimento dos ensinos das artes, circunstâncias e consequências de seu ferimento, bem como sua nobreza de caráter. A dissertação tece considerações gerais sobre o quanto sua realização mobilizou emocionalmente o autor, a par de fazer comentários sobre os ensinamentos encontrados nas falas dos três técnicos. Ela explicita, fundamentalmente, a correlação simbólica entre a figura do técnico de voleibol, exercendo-se pela função polar do mentor, com a figura do atleta deste esporte, na função polar complementar do aprendiz / This master degree dissertation occupies of a symbolic comprehension of the volleyballs coach pathway related with the mythic figure of Quiron and its athletes, evaluating the coachs importance as a fundamental element for the athletes construction. The athlete, as it has a lot of similarities with the heros myth is understood as a unique figure, as we can understand its achievements. Synchronously, the athlete, as a representative of a heroic condition, asks for the masters presence in its formation. The master actualizes in the coachs figure approximating and increasing this view with the Quirons myth. Result of these associations derives basic elements for a better comprehension of the development and structuring of the athletes personality basing the refinement of its performance. The symbolic meeting between master-coach and hero-athlete, the leadership phenomenon is studied, amplified with the mythologems where leaders characters are presented. The dissertation searched elements, for a better comprehension of the set of themes presented, in the biographical information of the three coaches, olympic medalists, as an athlete or as a coach, of the Brazilian volleyball: Bebeto de Freitas, Bernardinho and Giovane. The heros myth is described in: its origin, its nature, personality traits, birth and death conditions, its works and beginning ceremonies, its civilization importance. In the Quirons myth, detailed described, retakes the origin of its themes, birth, as it was created and how received its instructions about arts, the circumstances they were wounded and the consequences of its wound, as the nobility of its character. The paper shows general considerations on how its realization emotionally mobilized its author, along with comments and observations on teachings found in the speeches of the three coaches. The paper explains, fundamentally, the symbolic correlation between the volleyballs coach, playing by the mentors polar function, with the figure of the volleyballs athlete, playing by the complement polar function of apprentice

Thesis advisor: Lauri Johnson / This qualitative case study examined teacher and administrator perceptions of how one Massachusetts school district used the feedback processes to facilitate teacher growth and development. Feedback was defined as any type of information about performance or progress towards a goal that is transferred from one individual or group to another individual or group. Data gathered from participant interviews, artifact analyses, and observations of district meetings found not only effective distribution and use of educator feedback, but also that teachers and administrators participated in feedback-seeking behavior. The district appeared to be successful in embedding a social learning culture that facilitated and conditioned the positive use of feedback as an activator for ongoing examination of teaching and learning as well as the development and progress monitoring of individual and collective district improvement goals. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

O comportamento de liderança do treinador pode maximizar a performance do atleta ou até prejudicá-la, considerando os pontos de vista técnico e interpessoal. Uma das escalas mais utilizadas para avaliar comportamento de liderança é a LSS, proposta por Chelladurai e Saleh (1980). Porém, os estudos realizados com esta escala não exploraram as subdimensões intrínsecas destes comportamentos, além disso, verifica-se uma carência de escalas elaboradas no contexto brasileiro que considerem as idiossincrasias culturais e que avaliem, precisamente, e de forma independente, suas dimensões. Os objetivos da tese foram: propor e testar a validade de um novo instrumento de medida de liderança do treinador no contexto esportivo brasileiro, baseado no Modelo Multidimensional de Liderança no Esporte, identificando em cada uma das escalas de medida, da bateria que avalia o comportamento de liderança no esporte, a sua estrutura subjacente e qualidades psicométricas. Participaram do estudo 572 atletas, masculino = 410; feminino = 162, com idades variando de 13 a 35 anos ( = 15,79±3,17 anos), praticantes de modalidades individuais e coletivas. Dois instrumentos foram utilizados: um questionário Bio-Sócio-Demográfico e o segundo instrumento referente ao Comportamento de Liderança do Treinador, no qual cada dimensão foi composta por 10 itens formulados positivamente e com uma escala de concordância do tipo Likert, compreendida em 5 pontos, iniciando em “discordo fortemente” (1) até “concordo fortemente” (5). Cinco estudos foram conduzidos, testando separadamente cada dimensão: (1) treino e instrução, (2) comportamento democrático, (3) comportamento autocrático, (4) suporte social e (5) feedback positivo, no sentido de identificar quantos e quais são os fatores intrínsecos ou latentes em cada dimensão, verificando, também a adequação do modelo desenvolvido, inerente à escala de medida da dimensão aos dados disponíveis. Por fim, avaliou-se a confiabilidade dos resultados pelas medidas de precisão de cada uma das dimensões, em cada escala de medida. Os procedimentos estatísticos foram baseados em análises fatoriais exploratórias, confirmatória e modelagens de equação estrutural exploratória, assim como, cálculos de consistência interna, sendo todas as análises realizadas com base em matrizes policóricas. De modo geral, os resultados da bateria de testes para avaliar o comportamento de liderança do treinador evidenciaram variâncias explicativas das dimensões entre 35% e 57,12%, com índices de ajustamento absoluto, parcimonioso, comparativo e de correção considerados satisfatórios, demonstrando que os dados disponíveis se ajustam adequadamente aos modelos hipotéticos dos construtos avaliados. Os valores das medidas de precisão avaliadas foram satisfatórios, revelando que os itens em cada dimensão são consistentes entre si, representando uma medida precisa e de coerência interna do construto e de sua dimensão. Conclui-se o modelo de equação estrutural testado confirma, satisfatoriamente, a existência de cinco dimensões, com dois fatores de segunda ordem, consistentes e precisos na medida explicativa do Comportamento de Liderança do Treinador. / Coach's leadership behaviour can maximize the athlete's performance or even harm her, considering the technical and interpersonal viewpoints. One of the most widely used scales to evaluate leadership behaviour is LSS, proposed by Chelladurai and Saleh (1980). However, studies conducted with this scale have not explored the intrinsic subdimensions of these behaviors, in addition, there is a shortage of scales drawn up in the Brazilian context that consider our cultural idiosyncrasies and that they evaluate precisely and independently of their dimensions. The goals of the thesis were: propose and test the validity of a new trainer measurement instrument in the Brazilian sporting context, based on the multidimensional model of leadership in the sport, identifying in each of the measurement scales, the battery that evaluates leadership behavior in the sport, its underlying structure and psychometric qualities. Participated in the study 572 athletes, male = 410; Female = 162, with ages ranging from 13 to 35 years ( = 15,79±3,17), practitioners of individual and collective modalities. Two instruments were used: a bio-socio-demographic questionnaire and the second instrument for coach's leadership behaviour, in which each dimension was composed of 10 positively formulated items and with an agreement scale of type Likert, comprised of 5 points, starting "strongly disagree" (1) up to "strongly agree" (5). Five studies were conducted, testing separately each dimension: (1) training and instruction, (2) democratic behaviour, (3) autocratic behaviour, (4) social support and (5) positive feedback, in order to identify how many and what are intrinsic or latent factors in each dimension, checking, also the adequacy of the developed model, inherent to the scale of measurement of the dimension to the available data. Finally, the reliability of the results was evaluated by the precision measurements of each of the dimensions, on each measurement scale. The statistical procedures were based on exploratory factorials analyses, confirmatory and modelling structural equations, as well as internal consistency calculations, all analyses conducted based on policóricas matrices. Overall, the results of the test battery to evaluate the leadership behaviour of the trainer demonstrated the variances of the dimensions between 35% and 57.12%, with absolute, thrifty, compared and correction indices considered fairly satisfactory, demonstrating that the available data fits appropriately to the hypothetical models of the evaluated constructs. The values of the measured precision measurements were satisfactory, revealing that the items in each dimension are consistent with each other, representing an accurate measurement and internal coherence of the construct and its dimension. It is concluded that the model of structural equation tested satisfactorily confirms the existence of five dimensions, with two second-order factors, consistent and precise in the explanatory measure of the trainer's leadership behaviour.

Esta dissertação de Mestrado se ocupa da compreensão simbólica da trajetória do técnico do voleibol, relacionada com a figura mítica de Quíron e seus atletas, avaliando a importância do técnico como elemento fundamental para a construção do atleta. Este último, por suas muitas similaridades com o mito do herói, passa a ser entendido como uma figura ímpar, com o quê podemos entender suas façanhas. Sincronicamente, o atleta, por representar uma condição heroica, reclama pela presença fundamental de um mestre em sua formação. O mestre se atualiza na figura do treinador, aproximando-se e amplificando esta visão com o mito de Quíron. Destas associações decorrem elementos básicos para a melhor compreensão do desenvolvimento e estruturação de personalidade do atleta, embasando o aprimoramento do seu rendimento. Do encontro simbólico do técnico-mestre com seu atleta-herói, estuda-se o fenômeno da liderança, ampliado com mitologemas em que personagens líderes se fazem presentes. A par da amplificação mítica, a dissertação buscou elementos, para melhor compreensão da presente temática, em dados biográficos decorrentes de entrevistas com três técnicos do voleibol brasileiro, medalhistas olímpicos como jogadores ou técnicos: Bebeto de Freitas, Bernardinho e Giovane. No mito do herói são descritos sua origem, sua natureza, características de personalidade, condições de nascimento e morte, seus trabalhos e ritos iniciáticos, além de sua importância civilizatória. No mito de Quíron, descrito de forma detalhada, retoma-se a temática de sua origem, seu nascimento, sua criação e recebimento dos ensinos das artes, circunstâncias e consequências de seu ferimento, bem como sua nobreza de caráter. A dissertação tece considerações gerais sobre o quanto sua realização mobilizou emocionalmente o autor, a par de fazer comentários sobre os ensinamentos encontrados nas falas dos três técnicos. Ela explicita, fundamentalmente, a correlação simbólica entre a figura do técnico de voleibol, exercendo-se pela função polar do mentor, com a figura do atleta deste esporte, na função polar complementar do aprendiz / This master degree dissertation occupies of a symbolic comprehension of the volleyballs coach pathway related with the mythic figure of Quiron and its athletes, evaluating the coachs importance as a fundamental element for the athletes construction. The athlete, as it has a lot of similarities with the heros myth is understood as a unique figure, as we can understand its achievements. Synchronously, the athlete, as a representative of a heroic condition, asks for the masters presence in its formation. The master actualizes in the coachs figure approximating and increasing this view with the Quirons myth. Result of these associations derives basic elements for a better comprehension of the development and structuring of the athletes personality basing the refinement of its performance. The symbolic meeting between master-coach and hero-athlete, the leadership phenomenon is studied, amplified with the mythologems where leaders characters are presented. The dissertation searched elements, for a better comprehension of the set of themes presented, in the biographical information of the three coaches, olympic medalists, as an athlete or as a coach, of the Brazilian volleyball: Bebeto de Freitas, Bernardinho and Giovane. The heros myth is described in: its origin, its nature, personality traits, birth and death conditions, its works and beginning ceremonies, its civilization importance. In the Quirons myth, detailed described, retakes the origin of its themes, birth, as it was created and how received its instructions about arts, the circumstances they were wounded and the consequences of its wound, as the nobility of its character. The paper shows general considerations on how its realization emotionally mobilized its author, along with comments and observations on teachings found in the speeches of the three coaches. The paper explains, fundamentally, the symbolic correlation between the volleyballs coach, playing by the mentors polar function, with the figure of the volleyballs athlete, playing by the complement polar function of apprentice

The purposes of this study were to compile demographic characteristics, educational backgrounds, coaching experiences, and duties of strength and conditioning (STC) coaches at NCAA Division II and III institutions, and compare the profile of Division II and III STC coaches to the Martinez (2004) study of Division I-A STC coaches. NCAA Division II and Division III athletic personnel (N=578) received an electronic survey for this study. The return rate from Division II and Division III STC coaches were as follows: Division II, 23 responses (n=175), Division III, 34 responses (n=403). Descriptive statistics were used to examine each item. STC coaches at NCAA Division II and III institutions are white, male, approximately 35 and 34 years of age respectively, earn an annual salary of $30,001-$40,000, hold the CSCS certification, and received a Master's degree. The results indicated differences between this study and Martinez's (2004) study of NCAA Division I-A STC coaches.

Researchers have shown that learners who self-control (SC) their knowledge of results (KR) schedule learn the task more effectively than yoked learners. A common recommendation from these results is that learners should be provided choice over their KR schedule, rather than at a coaches' discretion (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016). No research to date has compared SC learners to a group that more closely mimics receiving KR from a coach, thus challenging whether such a recommendation can be made. To this end, three groups learned a golf putting task; an SC group, a traditional yoked group (TY), and a group who were led to believe that their KR schedule was being controlled by a golf coach (perceived coach-controlled yoked group; PCC). Participants (N = 60) completed three phases; pre-test, acquisition, and two 24-hr delayed post-tests (retention/transfer). All groups lowered their mean radial error (MRE) and bivariate variable error (BVE) throughout acquisition. As hypothesized, the SC group (M = 40.10) had lower adjusted MRE compared to the TY group (M = 43.12) during the post-tests, yet, the PCC group had the lowest adjusted MRE (M = 36.61). These differences, however, were not statistically significant, F(2, 54) = 2.81, p = .069. BVE did not display the same pattern as MRE during the post-test as group means were clustered together, F(2, 57) = 0.38, p = .963. Results from a questionnaire indicated that both yoked groups showed moderate ratings for receiving KR on a desired schedule, as well as preferring KR on good trials, or good and bad trials equally. Taken together, these results call into question the recommendation for practitioners to give choice to a learner over KR scheduling.

Teaching (in this study, coaching) is a key determinant in learning any sports skill. The coach-athlete relationship is one of the most important influences on athlete's motivation and performance (Mageau & Vallerand, 2003). One of the key leadership roles the coach has in this relationship is the creation and maintenance of the sports class learning climate. The joint influence of the athlete's motivation and the environmental press (class learning climate) can determine the cognitive, affective, and performance patterns regularly displayed by athletes (Ntoumanis & Biddle, 1999). A sports class' learning climate is a set of internal characteristics that has an important role in shaping an athlete's motivational and behavioural pattern (Ames, 1992) and is a key characteristic of class effectiveness. In sports classes, motivational climate is a sub-set of the overall learning climate and is created primarily by the sport class coach. Motivational climate can be described as the participants' relatively persistent collective perceptions of the achievement goal structure of that setting. Recent studies of motivational climate in sport have provided insight into coaching behaviour and its effect on sports class motivational climate (Ntoumanis & Biddle, 1999). In spite of the potential value of class learning climate research to the field of sports class behavioural studies, no research has consolidated the fields of classroom learning climate research and sports class motivational climate studies. This study provides a model for the investigation of gymnastics sports class learning climates that involves a consolidation of the dimensions and items of the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2 (Newton, Duda, & Yin, 2000) and the Classroom Environment Scale (Moos & Trickett, 1987). The development and validation of a new, unique learning climate scale - the Sports Class Environment Scale (SCES) - constitutes the focus of this research. The process of developing this consolidated instrument began with the production of an initial scale, and was followed by a review by a panel of experts in coaching and independent university researchers in sport and physical education. The SCES draft was then pilot tested with a small group (n = 41) of competitive gymnasts to prompt some changes to the scale. Initial field-testing of the SCES occurred with 28 male and 180 female competitive gymnasts from 6 metropolitan and 4 regional competitive gymnastics clubs in Queensland, Australia. Exploratory factor analysis provided a revised SCES with five subscales labeled Task Involvement and Improvement, Ego Involvement and Mistakes, Coach-Athlete Communication, Effort, Order and Organization, and Affiliation. Using the revised SCES subscales as dependent variables, multivariate analyses of variance were conducted to compare club type, gender, and competitive level. In this study, the low training hours and the high training hours gymnastics classes were different in their perceptions of the Ego Involvement of their class climate. Male and female gymnasts were different in their perceptions of Ego Involvement, Affiliation, and Effort, Order and Organization aspects of their class climates. This study demonstrates the potential utility of creating class learning climates high in both Task Involvement and Ego Involvement for competitive gymnastics clubs. This study breaks new ground, and may lead to novel insights into sports class learning climates. Because class learning climate is easier to manipulate than individual achievement goal dispositions (Whitehead, Andree, & Lee, 1997) and because perceptions of learning climate account for variance in learning outcomes beyond that attributable to student ability (Fraser, 1994, 1998, 2002), class learning climate is an important variable that should be better understood, described, developed, and manipulated. Effective measurement of sports class learning climates using the SCES may lead to a greater understanding of effective sports classes, and of coach and athlete behaviours in those classes, and provides a first step in monitoring sports class learning climates.

This autoethnographic study investigates the emotional and social dimensions of a coaching relationship from the athlete�s perspective. Autoethnography is an approach that draws on highly personalised biographical accounts in which authors tell stories about their lived experiences (Ellis & Bochner, 2000; Richardson, 2000) in order to place the "self within a social context" (Reed-Danahay, 1997, p. 9). Consequently, through the analysis of my memories and ethnographic notes, I analyse my experiences as an Olympic marathon runner and, in particular, the challenges I faced with my coach. In the process of investigating the emotional and social dimensions of the coaching process (which I have divided into three phases), I focus specifically on the creation of (1) my 'athletic identity', (2) the power relationship that developed between my coach and myself and, (3) my early retirement from running. In order to make sense of my experiences, I draw upon theories of identity (e.g. Bradley, 1996), Foucauldian concepts on 'power' (e.g. Foucault, 1980), and the literature addressing 'premature retirement' (e.g. Sparkes 1996; 2000). Finally, a conclusion summarises the main points made in addition to outlining their implications for further coaching research and practice.

<p>The aim of this study was to examine how athletes and coaches, in Sweden and Portugal, perceive and experience success and failure in relation to sport. Moreover, study if there were cultural differences in coping. The main objectives of the study consisted of examining differences based on culture and coaches vs. athletes in the following research questions; how athletes and coaches define, react and cope with success and failure, how they perceive consequences and how coaches help athletes to cope with success and failure. Fifteen (n=15) individual semi structured interviews was carried out with ten (n=10) Swedish and five (n=5) Portuguese sportsmen. An interview guide based on the objectives of the study was developed. 1226 raw data units were identified and categorised using categorization, tagging and regrouping of relevant concepts. The results are discussed according to several stress-coping theories. Moreover, the result showed some differences based on both culture and on coaches vs. athletes. Furthermore success was mainly defined as reaching goals and failure as performance related mistakes. Reactions on both success and failure were mainly emotional. Negative consequences of both success and failure were most common and problem- focused coping were adopted to cope with those situations. The coaches supported the athletes by adopting emotion- and problem-focused coping.</p>