LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEAM SPORTS COACHES

Shin Micah W. Duhina

Sarah C. Sinugbujan

Danica Joy B. Nanit

Loryn Grace A. Castor

 Chapter 1

Introduction

Background of the Study

A team sport is any activity in which a group of

people, who are on the same team, cooperate to achieve a

primary goal, which is typically to win (STANDS4 LLC,

2022). In contrast to individual sports, team sports

necessitate greater collaboration between a coach and his

team. It is because the relationship between the coach

and the athletes has an impact on how well the athletes

in team sports develop and learn (Szakál, 2022). Thus,

team sport coaches undergo various training and seminars

in order to be fully equipped with knowledge and skills

in their field of expertise. Hence, it is crucial for

coaches to keep in mind that creating a strength training

program and keeping track of training processes requires

bewildering knowledge and comprehension of the

physiological requirements of the sport itself (Sousa,

2019).

Coaches play an important role in assuring the

safety of school athletes; developing game strategies;

teaching beginners' rules, tactics, and skills; and

supporting top-level athletes cope with the pressures of

high-pressure environments (NICOLAS, 2020). In sports,

coaches and athletes consider the briefing function to be

particularly important in promoting teamwork, achieving

high performance and increasing expertise (Anne‐Claire

Macquet, 2021). Furthermore, coaches identified problem

athletes early, fostered relationships, provided clear

expectations and roles, and transformed their behaviors

to match the team culture (although this was not always

possible) and results shows that managing difficult

athletes takes a great deal of patience, introspection,

and emotional intelligence on the coach’s behalf (William

J Heelis, 2020).

The purpose of this study is to identify the lived

experiences of team sports coaches residing in Sagay

City, Negros Occidental. This study tries to discover the

different ways and strategies of sport coaches on how

they manage their players. Moreover, this study will help

the future coaches to learn and apply the various

strategies, techniques and advices from the team sports

coaches for them to become effective and an expert team

sports coach.
Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the “Lived experiences of

Team Sports coaches”. In which, it seeks answers to the

following questions:

1. What are the challenges experienced by the team

sports coaches in dealing with their players?

2. What are the different strategies used by the team

sports coaches to improve the overall performance and

behavior of their athletes?

3. What are the ways used by the team sports coaches to

overcome the challenges they encountered?

4. What are the methods used by coaches

to be an effective coach?

ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY

1. The experiences of team sports coaches with their

athletes differs from one another.

2. The strategies used by the team sports coaches are

effective for the progress of their players.

3. The team sports coaches were able to overcome the

various challenges they have encountered in

coaching.

4. Team sports coaches did not encounter too much

difficulties in their respective field of sport.

Theoretical Framework

This study highlights the constructivist epistemology

as an important paradigm in qualitative research.

Constructivism is a theory of knowledge (epistemology)

that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning

from an interaction between their experiences and their

ideas (Mogashoa, T., 2014). As a theory of learning,

constructivism is relevant in this study as the

researcher wishes to establish themes on the experiences

of coaches in dealing and teaching their athletes and

also the challenges, they’re encounter throughout the

game using a phenomenological research perspective that

focuses on the study of an individual’s lived experiences

within the world (Neubauer, B. et. al, 2019).

This research is also supported by phenomenology that

used in many ways by many famous philosophers such as

Kant, Hegel, Heidegger, and Husserl in the scope of

research. The term phenomenology is derived from the

Greek ‘phainein’, which means ‘to appear’, and it was

first used by Immanuel Kant in 1764. Kantian

phenomenology is based on constructivist philosophy for

the reason that the phenomena are constructed by

cognitive subject who is human being. In constructionist

view, the subject constructs what it knows, and in

phenomenological view, the subject knows what it

constructs which are not appearance but it has appearance

in the consciousness (Rockmore, 2011). Phenomenology has

evolved into a process that seeks reality in individuals’

narratives of their lived experiences of phenomena

(Cilesiz, 2009; Husserl, 1970; Moustakas, 1994).

Phenomenology includes different philosophies consisting

of transcendental, existential, and hermeneutic theories

(Cilesiz, 2010). While transcendental philosophy is often

connected with being able to go outside of the

experience, as if standing outside of ourselves to view

the world from above, existential philosophy reflects a

need to focus on our lived experience (Ihde, 1986;

Langdridge, 2007)
 Conceptual Framework

INPUT
1. What are
the challenges
experienced by
the team
sports coaches
in dealing
with their
players?
2. What are
the different PROCESS OUTCOME
strategies Data Gatering Intervention
used by the plan on how
team sports of the
to become an
coaches to respondent effective
improve the response team sports
overall through the OUTPUT
coach which
performance use of an Thematic includes the
and behavior informal Analysis following:
of their interview
athletes? which 1.Seminars
3. What are includes an 2.Trainings
the ways used interview 3.Workshops
by the team questionnaire
sports coaches .
to overcome
the challenges
they
encountered?
4. What are
the methods
used by
coaches to be
an effective
coach?

Figure 1. Schematic
Diagram
The model illustrates the relationship between the

three major parts of the research namely the input,

process, output and outcome.

The input is all about the formulated research

questions such as; What are the challenges experienced by

the team sports coaches in dealing with their players? ,

what are the different strategies used by the team sports

coaches to improve the overall performance and behavior

of their athletes?. If what are the ways used by the team

sports coaches to overcome the challenges they

encountered? And lastly, if what are the methods used by

coaches to be an effective coach? And if what are the

methods of the coaches to be an effective coach.

Then, the researchers gathered the data through the

use of an informal interview which includes an interview

questionnaire which can be carried out through either

face to face or online interaction. After gathering the

data from the respondents, the researchers will identify

and highlight the lived experiences of team sports

coaches in dealing with their athletes or players through

a thematic analysis. Then it will come up with an

intervention plan for team sports coaches which includes

seminars, trainings or workshops on how to become an

effective team sport coach.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to recognize the lived experiences

of team sports coaches, which will serve as the basis to

provide knowledge and information to the future team

sport coaches.

The result of this study will benefit the following:

 The school. The result of this study will help the

school to secure trainings and programs for the coaches

to continuously keep and gain knowledge and skills which

eventually help them to become fully equipped in their

own field of sport.

Future researcher. The findings of this study may

provide additional information, reference and knowledge

to the researcher and to the future researchers.

Future Coaches. This study will help the aspiring

team sport coaches to have an advance knowledge on how to

handle their players and for them to effective coach in

the future.

Definition of terms

For the purpose of this study, terms and concepts

were defined as follows:

Athlete. An athlete is defined as someone who

engages in physical activity and exercise on a regular

basis (Adami, 2020).

In this study, Athlete refers to an individual who

is proficient in a particular sport.

Coaches. A coach is someone who trains a person or

team of people in a particular sport. (Collins, 2022)

 In this study, Coaches define as an instructor who

guides and organize the group of players to achieve a

certain goal.

Coaching. Coaching is concerned with the immediate

improvement of performance and skill development through

a form of tutoring or instruction" (Parsloe, 1995).

In this study, coaching refers to the steps and

strategies used by the coaches in order to improve their

athlete’s overall performance.

Inclusion Criteria.  A set of established qualities

used to identify people who will be included in a

research project is known as inclusion criteria. The

selection or eligibility criteria used to rule in or out

the target population for a research study are made up of

inclusion and exclusion criteria ( (Salkind, 2010).

In this study, inclusion criteria refer to the set

of standards that serves as the basis in selecting the

respondents for this study.

Lived experiences. Lived experience can be defined

as personal knowledge of the world gained through direct

participation and involvement in the event or phenomenon.

(Mapp, 2008)
 In this study, lived experiences define as the

personal experiences and individual knowledge of team

sports coaches in a particular field of sport.

Team sports. Are when one group, or team, plays

against another in a competition where the team members

work together to achieve a common goal. (Carone Fitness,

2014)

In this study, Team sports refer to the group

of players and coaches to achieve a certain

objective.
 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter deals with the related literature and

studies. It also presents the synthesis of the review and

its relevance to the present study.

On Coaches

Coaches play a key role in assuring the safety

of school athletes; developing game strategies;

teaching beginners' rules, tactics, and skills; and

supporting top-level athletes cope with the

pressures of high-pressure environments (NICOLAS,

2020). It is crucial to remember that creating a

strength training program and keeping track of

training processes requires bewildering knowledge

and comprehension of the physiological requirements

of the sport itself. Knowing how sports technology

is based on science is essential for improving

performance. Additionally, it is crucial to

carefully choose and use appropriate monitoring

tools and software, as well as manage fatigue and

employ efficient recovery techniques, in order to

reduce the risks connected to potential improper

training program designs. Strength & Conditioning (S

& C) coaches should be aware of a variety of factors

to improve physical conditioning as they will need

to consistently interpret, make informed decisions,

and adapt effective strategies (Sousa, 2019). On the

other hand, coaches and educators should make an

effort to demonstrate transformational leadership

behaviors with regard to the coach-athlete

relationship and athletic effort (Gorgulu, 2019).

Over the past three decades, the amount of research

on coach training and development has increased

significantly. While the majority of these efforts

have concentrated on defining how coaches learn,

much less attention has been paid to the actual

effects of particular interventions in coach

education and development. Furthermore, little is

known about how coach developers contributed to this

impact (Lea-Cathrin Dohme, 2019).

Several difficulties confront the coach. Some

of a student's flaws, for example, are only evident

during competition. When some people encounter

strangers, their confidence can be shaken. In one

scenario, a student could perhaps lose confidence in

a competition against an unfamiliar opponent. As a

result, the student may lose, not because the coach

failed in his duties but because the player failed

to approach each opponent with the necessary

 confidence. Such incidents are contentious because

the coach is held responsible for bad sports

performance (Nicolas W., 2020). Hence, there are

three key mechanisms used by coach developers to

fulfill their role as "motivators for lifelong

learning": (1) being accessible, approachable, and

supportive; (2) fostering a sense of community; and

(3) raising coaches' aspirations by enhancing their

sense of duty and purpose (Lea-Cathrin Dohme, 2019).

Athletes and coaches must be aware of their stress

levels in order to recognize when they need to take

a break or make a change in order to prevent

becoming chronically anxious. This knowledge is also

important because it can lead them to stress

management techniques that are tailored to their

specific needs (Gunter, 2021). Furthermore, coaches

teach athletes techniques that can be useful in such

situations. Self-talk, relaxation, guided

meditation, self-control, planning, social support,

and talking with others are examples of these. All

of these tactics and strategies can help someone who

is dealing with stress (Gair, 2019).

Managing relationship with team

In both team and individual sports settings,

the relationship between the coach and the athlete

is crucial. According to prior research, the coach-

athlete relationship may be viewed as essential to

effective coaching. The degree to which coaches can

use their expertise and abilities to enhance their

athletes' performance and ability to learn is known

as coaching effectiveness. (Ahmad Fikri Mohd Kassim,

2019). Hence, the relationship between the coach and

the athletes has an impact on how well the athletes

in team sports develop and learn. (Szakál, 2022).

Coach and athlete leadership are significant

determinants of sports teams' functioning and

performance according to a vast body of empirical

research. Although coaches have a direct influence

on the performance of both individuals and teams,

they should also work to encourage athletes to

assume leadership roles in a positive way. The

relationship between coach leadership behavior and

the level of excellent athlete leadership within

teams, however, is still poorly understood (Maarten

De Backer, 2022).

Coaches recognized issues with their athletes

early on, built connections with them, set clear

goals and roles, and changed their behavior to fit

the team culture (although this was not always

possible). We also discovered that coaching

 challenging players requires a lot of patience,

reflection, and emotional intelligence on the part

of the coach. Our findings contribute to a limited

understanding of coaches' knowledge and techniques

for dealing with challenging players and maintaining

a positive team climate (William J. Heelis, 2020).

Coaches and athletes in sports believe that the

briefing function is critical in creating teamwork,

achieving high performance, and building competence

(Anne-Claire Macquet, 2021). Moreover, during

competition, team resilience can be defined as a

collective resilient attitude and strong and shared

leadership, while avoiding communication breakdowns,

failing leadership, and the inability to adapt

flexibly. Coaches should strategically develop

resilience by focusing on learning from experiences,

anticipating setbacks, and using planned disruptions

(Jolan Kegelaers, 2020).

Influence of Coaches to Athletes

Athlete satisfaction was positively correlated

with the coach-athlete dynamic and dimensions of

perceived coach leadership. According to

hierarchical regression analyses, the athlete's

role, the athlete's leadership traits, and

complementarity predicted the athlete's satisfaction

with personal performance. The athlete's

satisfaction with leadership was predicted by

training and instructions on leadership behaviors

and closeness. (VASILIKI FOURAKI, 2020). Hence,

support for coach autonomy was a key factor in the

development of the coach-athlete relationship and

team effectiveness. The effectiveness of the team

was also significantly impacted by the coach-athlete

relationship (Sun-Lyoung Cho, 2020). In both team

and individual sports settings, the relationship

between the coach and the athlete is crucial.

According to prior research, the coach-athlete

relationship may be viewed as essential to effective

coaching. The degree to which coaches can use their

expertise and abilities to enhance their athletes'

performance and learning is referred to as coaching

effectiveness (Siti Jameelah Md Japilus, 2020). In

addition, sporting professionals wanted to give kids

memorable sporting experiences. Youthful athletes

were thought to need these fulfilling sporting

experiences in order to keep them interested in

sports and help them develop life skills. The young

athletes' feeling of belonging to a team was a

priority for the sports coaches, who placed special

emphasis on fostering small successes. Specific

coaching techniques were used to improve the youths'

 comprehension and manageability in specific sporting

situations in order to make sure that they could

have moments of success (Sabina Super, 2018).

Numerous studies have examined the leadership

behaviors of coaches and athletes in an effort to

connect particular leadership philosophies with

important factors like the coach-athlete

relationship and athlete satisfaction. Only a few

studies have looked at how coach and athlete

leadership behaviors affect the team's performance

(VASILIKI FOURAKI, 2020). Furthermore, the coach-

athlete relationship was significantly influenced by

the players' satisfaction, and this relationship was

mediated by the players' trust in their coach.

(Juan Li, 2021).

Synthesis

The topics and relevant studies which purpose

is to give insights about the lived experiences of

team sport coaches. As a result, the aforementioned

studies and research will be considerably beneficial

to researchers in developing knowledge and ideas

about the experiences of team sports coaches in a

certain field of sport.

 Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology that will be used

in the conduct of this study and will include the

discussion of research design respondent’s data gathering

procedure in analysis and ethical consideration of the

study.

Research Design

The researchers use the descriptive

phenomenological in attempting to know the “Lived

Experience of Team Sports Coaches.” Specifically, a

semi-structured interview has to be conducted so

that the researcher could ask additional questions

during the interviews if clarification and further

explanations would be needed. The interviews began

with background questions about the sports coaches'

training experiences, the composition of the teams

they coached, and their pedagogical background.

Three blocks of questions based on the coaching

literature (Trudel & Forneris, T. (2012)). The

respondent’s subjective and objective perceptions

were expected to form the core data of the study,

hence if needed the method that would deal with the

topic in a descriptive and qualitative nature.

Locale of the Study

This study was conducted to the six (6)

selected respondents from different team sport’s

coaches within the locality of Sagay City, Negros

Occidental, Philippines.

Criteria in selecting participants

The participants in this study must be

officially recognized as a professional coach of the

following team sports such as basketball,

volleyball, takraw, soccer, futsal and baseball from

various secondary schools within Sagay city. The

participants must have undergone trainings,

orientations, seminars, and must provide a

certification as a proof of evidence in conducting

this study, and had an experience of not less than

five (5) years in the field.

Data Gathering procedure

For the purpose of this study, semi-structured

interviews were conducted with the sports coaches

which aimed to identify the lived experiences of the

team sports coaches. The study used face to face

interviews following an informal protocol and a set

of responses for recording participants, face to

face interview is the ability to control

interactions (Gayle R. Jennings 2005). Scheduling

the interview at an amenable time and location is

often particularly important to respondents in the

face-to-face mode (ELMIR et al.,2011). Coaches was

chosen in such a way that there was a large

variation in type of sports, age, gender of the team

sports coach. The sports coaches were contacted and

requested whether they are willing to participate in

the interview. The interviews would be recorded and

their identity and confidentiality were guaranteed.

The interviews were conducted by the researcher

themselves and lasted in more than an hour, the

interviews took place at the interviewee’s location.

The collection of data ended when the researcher was

able to saturate the data wherein, different

information gathered from the respondents.

Furthermore, the researchers made it clear to the

volunteers that there was no monetary compensation

involved in the study's execution.

Instruments Use

This study used a semi-structured self-

developed interview questionnaire. The interviews

began with inquiries regarding the sports coaches'

training experiences, squad compositions, and

pedagogical backgrounds. Three sets of questions

based on coaching research (Trudel & Forneris, T.

(2012)). This will serve as an interview guide for

the researchers. Some certain questions were

prepared by the researchers to guide the interview

towards the satisfaction of research objectives but

additional questions were made encountered during

the interviews.

Data analysis

The study's primary consideration was to reduce

researcher bias and subjectivity. The goal of the

research is to obtain accurate and reliable results.

To ensure qualitative reliability, researchers

checked the transcripts to ensure that no

unnecessary and obvious mistakes were made during

transcription, and that no drift in the definition

of codes, or a shift in the meaning of the codes,

occurred during the coding process, as recommended

 by Gibbs (2007). Similarly, to assure validity, the

researcher used a procedure to identify an expert to

review and determine the accuracy of the qualitative

findings, as well as to obtain approval from the

respondents if the data obtained was correct and to

tell them of the study's conclusions.

Ethical Consideration

In conducting this study, the researchers

assured and established good relationship with the

respondents by interviewing them personally. The

researchers had a smooth conversation with each

participant and discussed about the nature of the

study, and assured to them that the data gathering

was purely voluntary. The goal of the study was

clearly presented to the participants which was to

identify the various challenges of team sports

coaches from the different schools in Sagay City,

Negros Occidental. Furthermore, the type of data

needed to be gathered in the interview was explained

to the participants and the recording system and

transcription was explained.

The researchers scheduled the time of the

interview based on the availability of the

participant’s while ensuring that they were able to

participate in the interview in accordance to the

agreement. The participants were politely requested

to affix their signature on the prepared form for

authenticity and it was stated further in the letter

prepared and unified into the interview protocol.

There was no probable risk expected in the conduct

of this study. The participant’s identity and

confidentiality of the data were gathered and

secured. The interview was conducted voluntarily and

based on their willingness to take part in the study

without any coercion. The selected participants were

provided with the researcher’s contact information

such as cellular phone number, email address, and

Facebook accounts for the purpose of communication

if they had any queries or clarifications regarding

the interview. In addition, the researchers

clarified to the participants that there was no

monetary remuneration involved in the conduct of the

study.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Background of team sports coaches:

 What type of team sport are you coaching with? Can

you tell us something about it?
 How did you start your career as a team sport
coach?
 Can you tell us your experience in playing the
particular team sport you are coaching with?
 Do you consider yourself as an effective coach?
Why or why not?

Challenges experienced by the team sports coaches in

dealing with their players:

 What are the challenges have you encountered with

your athletes?
 What common behavior of your athlete do you mostly
encountered?

Strategies used by the team sports coaches to improve the

overall performance and behavior of their athletes:

 How do you handle your athlete’s behavior,

specifically in crucial times?
 In terms of your athlete’s aggressive behavior,
how did you deal with it?
 How do you motivate your athletes before the
game?
 During the game, how do you handle your
athletes?
 How do you manage yourself as a coach and your
athletes after knowing the result of the game?
 As a coach, how do you help your athletes to
strengthen their weaknesses?
 How do you make bond with your athletes?
 How do you maintain the coach-athlete
relationship in terms of training and in
recreation?
 What are your techniques and strategies to help
equipped your athletes in all aspects?
 As a coach, what words of encouragement can you
give to all the athletes?

Ways of team sport coaches to overcome the

challenges they have encountered:

 What common problems have you experienced in

coaching and how did you able to addressed these
problems?
 In times of failure, how do you uplift yourself
and your athletes?

Methods of coaches to be an effective coach:

 What is your greatest achievement as a team sport
coach and how was this experience motivates you to
continue in coaching?
 In case of uncertain circumstances, how do you
handle the situation?
 What advice can you give to the future coaches?