Idrettsledelse og coaching av kvinnelige spillere på toppnivå : Å lede kvinnelige toppfotballspillere – En studie av trener- og lederroller i et profesjonsperspektiv

Avhandling (Ph.d.) – Nord universitet, 2022publishedVersio

Mental toughness in elite and sub-elite female soccer players

Mental toughness (MT) is seen as an important psychological factor in the athletic success of elite athletes. Research on the subject has usually concerned male athletes. Our purpose was to investigate whether there are differences in mental toughness between female players who compete in an elite league and those who play at lower levels. In total, 298 female soccer players (M = 20.7 years, SD = 3.7 years) from three levels of Norwegian soccer responded to the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire. The MT Constancy subscale was removed from analysis due to an unacceptable Cronbach alpha (0.57). The results revealed that elite league players had significantly higher MT Global scores than those in lower leagues. The elite players had higher scores than the third league players on the MT Confidence subscale. For MT Control, the elite league players had a significantly higher score than the second league players, but the elite players did not differ significantly from the third league players on this subscale. These results partially confirm a relationship between mental toughness and playing level among female soccer players.publishedVersio

Considerations Perceived by Coaches as Specific to Coaching Elite Women’s Soccer Teams

This study investigated challenges perceived by coaches when working with elite women’s soccer teams. Six men and four women coaches with experience in the first Norwegian League or Norwegian national team participated. Semi-structured interviews were carried out, and the data was analyzed using thematic interpretational analysis. Participants identified professionalism, early-career termination, mental characteristics, intrateam communication, romantic relationships, access to the locker rooms (men only), and team selection (women only) as the specific challenges they face when coaching these teams. The findings are discussed in relation to ensuring that good performance and development are achieved when coaching elite women’s soccer teams and helping future coaches optimize their coaching techniques when working with elite women players

Idrettsledelse og coaching av kvinnelige spillere på toppnivå : Å lede kvinnelige toppfotballspillere – En studie av trener- og lederroller i et profesjonsperspektiv

Avhandling (Ph.d.) – Nord universitet, 2022publishedVersio