An experience sampling study of organizational stress processes and future playing time in professional sport

This study examined the relationships between daily cognitive appraisals of organizational events, affective responses, and coping. In addition, a 5-year longitudinal relationship between coping and performance outcomes at the senior professional level was assessed. Using an experience sampling method, professional academy rugby union players (N = 39, Mage = 17.23 years, SD = 0.87) completed daily diary measures of appraisals, affective responses, and coping over 5 weeks of training. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that daily cognitive appraisals were related to daily affective responses and coping functions enacted by behaviours, after accounting for a series of within (e.g., time, day, week) and between-person (e.g., personality, key decision-makers) differences. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression revealed that coping related to eliciting support was associated with minutes played at the senior professional level five years later. This study extends theoretical knowledge of the within- and between-person relationships that explain organizational stress experiences. The findings suggest that some coping functions enacted by behaviours may be early indicators of future performance outcomes in professional sport

Transformational leadership: a qualitative analysis of effective leadership in women’s soccer in England

This study examined perceptions of effective leadership in elite women’s soccer by team captains. Data were collected from a range of perspectives in four elite female soccer teams in England. For each of the four teams, data were collected from 6 participants (total N = 24 players). For each of the four teams, interviews were conducted with the captain and the coach as well as a focus group with 4 players regarding their perceptions of the captain’s leadership. Data were firstly deductively categorised under the four key areas of transformational leadership: idealised influence, inspirational motivation, individualised consideration and intellectual stimulation. An inductive analysis of the relevant data which did not fit into these themes revealed the importance of captains building bridges through helping to navigate the gender gap as well as to facilitate effective relationships with and between players. The implications of these findings are discussed.</p