This thesis deals with the methods of coaching as a leadership in professional basketball clubs in the Czech Republic. The objective of the thesis is to determine how much the professional basketball coaches are familiar with methods of coaching and whether they use any of them in their daily practice. To find the necessary information there has been used a questionnaire survey through email correspondence with coaches. The results are then compared with the information obtained through studying books of leading American coaches. The benefits of this thesis are identification and evaluation of the coaching utilization in management of professional basketball teams. The issue of coaching in this or any other sports in the Czech Republic has not been written up into any book. The actual summary of foreign literature dedicated to this topic is also beneficial. The bonuses of this thesis are the recommendations to improve the performance of basketball coaches. Recommendations and conclusions of this thesis can be useful not only for improving the work of the respondents of this questionnaire, but they can be used as general source for increasing work efficiency in the management of sports teams. The thesis may also be used by basketball players to expand their knowledge of the development of their own abilities and skills. The results are also useful for the Czech Basketball Federation, Association of Basketball Coaches, which is responsible for the methodology of coaches' education and universities providing a two-year educational program Trainers' School. The thesis could be divided into four main parts. The first part deals with the general areas of coaching, its use, attitudes and personality coach. The second part focuses on the area of sports coaching and then the specifics of leadership in basketball. The third part deals with the exploration of the use of coaching in leading basketball teams by professional trainers. The final section summarizes the results of individual coaches and provides recommendations to improve their work.

Effective leadership is a concept shown to be important for successful team performance in the fields of business, education, and sport. In sport, the role of the athlete leader has been under-examined and specifically, how coaching behaviors can affect athlete leader behaviors and how various leadership models (e.g., trait, behavioral, situational) relate to the athlete leader role has never been studied. The present study examined how autocratic, democratic, and collaborative coaching styles affect the athlete leader behavior preferences of athletes of different genders and sport types. Three coach scenarios reflecting the three aforementioned coaching styles were created so that athletes could imagine that they were coached by the individual presented in the scenario and then rate what type of athlete leader behaviors that they would prefer given the style of the coach that they read about. Results showed that the coach scenarios failed to have a significant impact; however, significant differences were discovered between men and women and between individual and team sport athletes on variables measuring preferred performance/task, relationship, motivation, and representation behaviors. Data were gathered on the style of athletes' current coach and this variable also produced significant differences for such behaviors as resolving conflict, providing positive reinforcement, and acting respectfully towards others. In addition, exploratory analyses showed that athletes who hold different leadership positions prefer different athlete leader behaviors. The current study seemed to offer concrete evidence on how coaching style can affect athlete leader preferences and how the athlete leader role can be explained by trait, behavioral, and situational leadership theories; however, future studies will have to further explore the impact that a coach's style can have on the behavior of athlete leaders as well as analyzing the relationship between athlete leaders and teammates utilizing the transformational leadership approach.

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Title: Behavioural analysis of a football coach Objectives: The goal of this master thesis is to qualitatively evaluate means of didactic interaction of a football coach and his players in youth categories in two league games of the Czech Youth League (Česká liga žáků) and thereby to contribute to new knowledge in this field. Methods: The research is targeted at the behavioural analysis of a football coach. In this thesis methods of spectating and analysis of audio and video records were carried out. The essence of the research is based on the method of the Analysis of didactic interaction (ADI) consisting of 9 categories containing several subcategories. The categories 1 and 4, those which are dedicated to the forms of behaviour, were applied in this thesis. Results: From the results of the analysis it seems obvious that the coach was prevailingly relying on his speeches which he seldomly supported and emphasized with his movement. The movement itself we acknowledge as gestures linked to orders related to game activities during the football game. From the analyzed records of parts of the games the following can be concluded: In the pre-game preparations the instructions with corrections prevail, which is also the case during the game, where spectating is being present to a large extent as well. On...

Sammanfattning Bakgrund: Barn och ungdomar har rätt till en trygg och hälsosam idrottsmiljö. Idrottsvärlden påverkas av olika faktorer, som till exempel ledarskap, vilket kan ha stort inflytande på barns hälsa och välmående. Att skapa idrottsmiljöer som är hälsofrämjande ska därför vara en viktig del av folkhälsopolitiken, både nationellt och internationellt. Dessutom visas av barnkonventionens rekommendationer att all idrott för barn ska bedrivas utifrån ett barnrättsperspektiv. Däremot visar tidigare forskning att även om det finns friskfaktorer i idrottsmiljö finns det också riskfaktorer. Därför behövs ytterligare studier som ska belysa idrottares och ledares upplevelser av idrottsmiljön i förhållande till hälsofrämjande arbete. Detta för att också kunna identifiera olika möjligheter till arbetsförbättringar för både idrottare och ledare. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur svenska fotbollstränare upplever sitt ledaruppdrag kopplat till arbetet med att skapa en hälsofrämjande idrottsmiljö med fokus på deras ledarskapsegenskaper.  Metod: En kvalitativ studie som bygger på tre intervjuer och sex observationer har genomförts. För att bearbeta och analysera insamlingsdata genomfördes en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Innehållsanalysen ledde fram till tre kategorier: 1. Ledarskapet ur ett helhetsperspektiv med tillhörande fyra subkategorier: Kompetens, Uppdrag och utveckling, Samspel, samt Stödjande resurser; 2. Ledarskapsstil och beteendemönster med fyra subkategorier Autoritärt ledarskap, Demokratiskt och Situationsanpassat ledarskap, Relationsinriktat ledarskap och Ledarteam; 3. Breddfotboll som positiv idrottsmiljö med följande tre subkategorier: Fotbollsmiljö som hälsofrämjande arena, Medarbetarens liv och hälsa samt Ledarskap som hälsofrämjande arbete. Resultat: Visar att fotbollstränarna upplevde att det var viktigt att se sitt ledarskap utifrån ett helhetsperspektiv, att det sker i ett samspel utifrån olika synvinklar samt att breddfotboll är en del i att eftersträva en positiv idrottsmiljö – det här för att arbeta med att skapa en mer hälsofrämjande idrottsmiljö – utifrån ett ledarskapsperspektiv.  Slutsats: Sveriges idrottsmiljö tar hänsyn till barn och ungdomars olika behov, förutsättningar och utvecklingstakt. Den är utformad så att en kvalitativ och långsiktig idrottslig utveckling som möjligt stimuleras. Därför är det viktigt att ledarna också har kunskap om barn och ungdomars utveckling och betydelsen den har i och utanför idrottsmiljön. En positiv arbetsmiljö med fokus på hälsofrämjande arbete är avgörande för både idrottare och ledares hälsa samt välbefinnande. Tidigare forskning visar också de positiva och långsiktiga effekterna som kan förekomma som en naturlig konsekvens av ett hälsofrämjande ledarskap inom idrott.   Respondenternas intresse för konstant utveckling av sitt ledarskap som fotbollstränare framkom också i undersökningen. Det anledningar respondenterna angav var dels att förbättra idrottsmiljön som kan påverka träningskvalitet och idrottares utveckling samt välmående, dels för att  kunna skapa en positiv arbetsmiljö som främjar en god hälsa på lika villkor för alla. Detta kan relateras till begreppen individuell empowerment och hög känsla av sammanhang.     Nyckelord: Breddfotboll, fotbollstränare, hälsofrämjande arbete, ledarskap, lärandemiljö / Abstract Background: Children and young people have the right to a safe and healthy sports environment. The sports world is affected by different factors, such as leadership, which can have great influence on children's health and well-being. Creating sports environments that are health promotion should therefore be an important part of public health policy, both nationally and internationally. Despite recommendations in the Rights of the Child that all sports for children should be conducted from a child rights perspective, previous research shows that while there are positive aspects to the sports environment, there are also risk factors. Therefore, further studies are necessary to highlight athletes 'and leaders' experiences of the sports environment in relation to health promotion work in order to identify opportunities for improvement in their daily working lives.    Aim: The purpose of the study was to investigate how Swedish football coaches experiencing their leadership assignments linked to the work of creating a health promotion sports environment with a focus on their leadership qualities.  Method: A qualitative study based on three interviews and six observations has been conducted. To process and analyze collection data, a qualitative content analysis was used. The content analysis resulted in three categories: 1. Leadership from a holistic perspective with associated four subcategories: Competens, Assignments and Development, Interaction, and Supporting resources; 2. Leadership style and behaviour patterns with four subcategories: Authoritarian leadership, Democratic and situational leadership, Relationship-oriented leadership and Leadership teams; 3. Grassroots football as a positive sports environment with the following three subcategories: Football environment as health promotion arena, Employee's life and health and Leadership as health promotion work. Results: Shows that the football coaches felt that it was important to see their leadership based on a holistic perspective, that it takes place in an interplay based on different points of view and that grassroots football is part of seeking a positive sports environment - this to work on creating a more health promotion sports environment - from a leadership perspective.  Conclusion: The Swedish Sports Environment takes into account children and young people's different needs, conditions and development rate. It is designed so that a qualitative and long-term sporting development as possible is stimulated. Therefore, it is important that the leaders also have knowledge of children and young people's development and the importance it has in and outside the sports environment. A positive work environment focusing on health promotion work is essential for both athletes and leaders' health and well-being. Previous research also shows the positive and long-term effects that may occur as a natural consequence of a health promotion leadership in sports. The respondents' interest in constant development of their leadership as a football coach also emerged in the survey. The reasons they given were partly to improve the sports environment that can affect training quality and athletes' development and well-being, partly to create a positive work environment that promotes good health on equal terms for everyone. This can be related to the concepts of individual empowerment and high sense of context.     Keywords:  Grassroots football, Health promotion, Leadership, Learning environment, Soccer coach

The aim of this study was to explore job-coaches and work consultant’s discretion in work with activation of social assistance recipients. Semistructured interviews have been conducted with 4 job-coaches and 4 work consultants within 2 different municipalities. The interviews have been analyzed using Lipsky's theory on street-level bureaucracy and new institutional organization theory. The results of the study showed that job-coaches and work consultant’s report having a large discretion in the work with activation. Further results show that their experienced discretion in their work is not assessed as being affected by the level of education and age but that the work experience is seen essential. On an organizational level a large supply of activation measures and routines giving support was viewed as important. On a political level political priorities was viewed as an important aspect in regards to the discretion. / Syftet med den föreliggande studien har varit att undersöka jobbcoachers och arbetskonsulenters handlingsutrymme i aktiveringsarbetet med socialbidragsklienter. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med 8 jobbcoacher och arbetskonsulenter i två kommuner. Intervjumaterialet har analyserats med hjälp av Lipsky´s teori om fornlinjebyråkrati och nyinstitutionell organisationsteori.  Studiens resultat visade att jobbcoacher och arbetskonsulenter upplever en stor handlingsfrihet i arbetet med aktivering. Vidare resultat visar att det upplevda handlingsutrymmet i arbetet bedöms inte påverkas av utbildningsnivå och ålder men att yrkeserfarenhet upplevs som betydelsefull. På organisationsnivå ansågs ett stort utbud av aktiveringsåtgärder och stöd inom verksamheten vara av vikt. På politisk nivå ansågs politiska prioriteringar som en viktig aspekt när det gäller handlingsutrymme.

This study is about sport club leaders’ experiences of the gap between sport science and sport practice. The purpose of this research was to answer four specific questions: a) Does it differentiate between coaches and organizational leaders in high performance sport, when it comes to using sport science? b) How do practitioners in sport perceive sport science research? c) In what way does practitioners in high performance sport obtain inspiration and new knowledge? d) What constrains a successful process of implementing scientific knowledge in sport practice? To answer these questions, semi-structured interviews were made with six participants, included three coaches and three organization leaders in Swedish high-performance sport. This study takes theoretical attachment in the way sport science play for having an evidence-based practice in sports. Among the participants there were a strong consensus that sport science makes or can do an important contribution to high-performance sport. An important finding was the difference between coaches and organizational leaders in perceived closeness to sport science, in relation to their own reality, which also related to difference in using sport science. Coaches perceived science being closer to their reality and also use sport science more than the organizational leaders do. Coaches are most likely to observe other coaches to get new ideas. Time and recourses were important constrains to use sport science. Organizational leaders perceive a longer process in integrate scientific findings than coaches do. Strategies to get sport science taking more place in sport practice can be to coordinate findings in channels where practitioners know to go, and to be announced in an consist and informal way, that makes taking part of it fun and interesting.

The rise in the number of students who drop out of high school has gained national attention. High school dropout rates in the state of Louisiana are a primary concern to school administrators in the state. The Graduation Coach Program is an intervention implemented in several high schools across Louisiana to assist students with completing their high school education. Many of the programs' attributes are based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, students' needs, and the presence of positive adult relationships that might improve student achievement. The purpose of this study was to compare archival attendance and graduation rates among independent groups from years before and after the implementation of the Graduation Coach Program in 4 Louisiana public high schools. Attendance rates included data from 5 years before and 7 years after the program (n = 48), and due to limitations in the archival records, graduation rates included data from 2 years before and 7 years after the program (n = 36). Two independent-samples t tests were conducted, and no significant differences were found between the groups for both measures. Due to power limitations in the group sizes, further research is recommended to include additional campuses that implement the program. Positive social change implications include providing these initial research findings to the study districts' administration to assist with decision making and planning for the Graduation Coach Program used at their campuses. Through continued efforts and research, high school administrators may ultimately improve high school attendance and graduation rates to address the high school dropout problem in Louisiana.

The aim of this study was to better understand how the supportive role from coaches and engagement from parents is associated the behavioral and psychological outcomes for adolescents participating in organized sports. Behavioral adjustments were defined as youth delinquency and psychological outcomes as depressive symptoms and subjective well-being. The data used in this study were from the Youth and Sports (YeS) project, of which an analytical sample of N=421 7th graders participating in organized sports was selected. Results from a hierarchical regression analysis showed that 7.5% of parental engagement and coach support explained variance in adolescents’ subjective well-being and 3.4% explained depressive symptoms. The same pattern was not found in delinquent behavior, however, we did find an interaction effect, where coach support moderates the link between parents’ engagement and delinquency. Therefore, results suggest that adolescents participating in organized sports with engaged parents and support from their coach displayed better behavioral and psychological adjustments in adolescence. / Syftet med denna studie var att bättre förstå hur en stödjande roll från tränare och engagemang från föräldrar är associerade med beteendemässiga och psykologiska faktorer för ungdomar som deltar i organiserad idrott. Beteendemässig faktor definierades som ungdomsbrottslighet och psykologiska faktorer som depressiva symtom och subjektivt välbefinnande. Datan som användes i denna studie var från projektet Youth and Sports (YeS), av vilket ett analytiskt urval av N=421 i årskurs 7 som deltar i organiserad idrott valdes ut. Resultatet från en hierarkisk regressionsanalys visade att 7,5 % av föräldrarnas engagemang och stöd från coachen förklarade variationer i ungdomarnas subjektiva välbefinnande och 3,4 % förklarade depressiva symtom. Samma mönster hittades inte i brottsligt beteende, men vi hittade en interaktionseffekt, där stöd från coachen modererar kopplingen mellan föräldrars engagemang och brottslighet. Därför tyder resultaten på att ungdomar som deltar i organiserad idrott med engagerade föräldrar och stöd från sin tränare har den mest fördelaktiga effekten på beteendemässiga och psykologiska anpassningar i tonåren.

El propósito de la presente tesis doctoral es el de conocer el papel que tienen las funciones ejecutivas (FE) como predictoras del rendimiento en los entrenadores. Primero, se llevó a cabo un análisis de la producción literaria sobre FE en relación con los agentes deportivos y se comprobó que existía un vacío en el estudio de las FE relacionadas con los entrenadores y que gran parte del esfuerzo se centraba en el estudio del deportista. Segundo, se compararon las FE de entrenadores de baloncesto con entrenadores de deportes individuales y no-entrenadores. Los resultados indicadores diferencias significativas entre los entrenadores de baloncesto y aquellos de deportes individuales así como con los participantes pertenecientes al grupo de no-entrenadores, si bien no había diferencias entre entrenadores de deportes individuales y no-entrenadores. Finalmente, se investigaron si una serie de variables (edad, sexo, logro académico, certificación deportiva, experiencia, excelencia deportiva, tiempo de dedicación) modulaban los niveles de FE en un grupo de entrenadores y entrenadoras de baloncesto. Al dividir al grupo de manera más o menos homogénea entre mayores de 30 y menores de 30, la variable experiencia proporcionó diferencias en inhibición cercanas a lo significativo con un tamaño del efecto pequeño a favor del grupo menor de 30 años. En referencia a la inhibición, se dieron diferencias, aunque no significativas, entre el grupo de graduados universitarios y aquellos que no lo eran. Además, La experiencia parece ser un factor que incide en las FE. Así, el grupo de entrenadores con más de 10 años de experiencia obtuvo mejor rendimiento en flexibilidad cognitiva. El tiempo dedicado a la práctica sólo deja diferencias significativas en flexibilidad cognitiva. En este sentido, el grupo que le dedicó más de 20 horas obtuvo un rendimiento superior que el que menos horas le dedica. En cuanto al tiempo dedicado en los últimos 5 años, sólo se vio una tendencia en aquel grupo de entrenadores que le dedicó más de 10 horas a la semana durante ese periodo. Variables como pericia y edad no produjeron ningún resultado destacable, indicando que son factores que no parecen tener relevancia en los niveles de las FE. Un análisis posterior de los datos mediante conglomerados bietápicos permitió diferenciar dos perfiles de entrenadores, aquellos con nivel bajo de FE y los de nivel alto. El perfil de entrenadora o entrenador de nivel alto es joven, menor de 30 años, con estudios universitarios, con no excesiva experiencia en baloncesto (menos de 10 años) pero una alta implicación. Por otra parte, el perfil de bajo nivel de FE es el de una persona de más de 30 años, también con estudios universitarios, con más de 10 años de experiencia y menos de 10 horas de dedicación semanal.