A Master’s Action Research Thesis By Elisha De Jesus To New England College April 2009

1. In What Ways Do Different Coaching Styles Impact the Motivation of Female High School Varsity Basketball Players? A Master’s Action Research Thesis By Elisha De Jesus To New England College April 2009

2. Research Question • “In What Ways Do Different Coaching Styles Impact the Motivation of Female High School Varsity Basketball Players?”

3. Purpose • As a coach I want to know if I am doing my job as a motivational leader. I have always wondered how much influence a coach can have on their players during practices and games. • The purpose of this action research was to find out how my style of coaching had an impact on my Female Varsity High School Basketball Players.

4. Background • WHERE: Morristown Central School Gymnasium. • WHO: 2008 – 2009 Morristown Lady Rockets Varsity Basketball Team. (2 Sophomores, 4 Juniors, 4 Seniors, 1 Female Head Coach, 1 Male Assistant Coach) • RESEARCHER: Head Coach

5. Important Definitions • AUTOCRATIC COACH: A style of coaching also known as the command or dictator style because the coach is always the one to make all the decisions. • SUBMISSIVE COACH: A style of coaching in which the coach makes as few decisions as possible, offers little instruction, provides little guidance, and solves few problems. The coach lets his/her players do what they want. • COOPERATIVE COACH: A style of coaching that allows athletes to give input into decisions which affect the team. This style is known as the “teacher.”

6. Assumptions • The more a coach motivates through a cooperative coaching style, players will perform at higher levels. • The female basketball athletes in this study will be motivated more through the use of positive feedback, and a more team geared approach to coaching. • These female athletes will benefit from a coach who has high warmth and who promotes learning and growth of the athletes by listening to their ideas and providing a role model for well informed decision making.

7. Methodology • At the beginning of the season, permission was granted by all ten of my female athletes with the use of a consent form signed and turned in by each athletes parents/guardians. • Data was collected during the 2008-2009 winter basketball season, which was approximately 4 months.

8. Data Collection Tools • Athlete and Coaches Pre and Post Surveys - Surveys based on a likert scale given at the beginning and end of the research project. • Attendance Chart - Players were held accountable for being at practices, games and team events. • Athlete and Coaches Practice/Game Journal Entries - Daily journals were kept by players and coaches after every practice and every game.

9. RESULTS

10. Athlete Pre-Survey Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

11. Coaches Pre-Survey Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

12. Practice Attendance Record

13. Game Attendance Record

14. Athlete/Coach Practice Question #1 “Coach/I used an authoritarian style of coaching today” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

15. Athlete/Coach Practice Question # 2 “Coach/I used a submissive style of coaching today.” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

16. Athlete/Coach Practice Question # 3 “Coach/I used a cooperative style of coaching today.” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

17. Athlete Practice Question # 4 Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree “I motivated myself today.”

18. Coaches Practice Question # 4 “I felt like I motivated my players today.” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

19. Athlete Practice Question # 5 Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree “I was motivated by my coach today.”

20. Athlete/Coach Game Question # 1 “Coach/I used an authoritarian style of coaching today.” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

21. Athlete/Coach Game Question # 2 “Coach/I used a submissive style of coaching today.” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

22. Athlete/Coach Game Question # 3 “Coach/I Used a cooperative style of coaching today.” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

23. Athlete Game Question # 4 “I motivated myself today.” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

24. Coaches Game Question # 4 “I felt like I motivated my players today.” Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

25. Athlete Game Question # 5 Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree “I was motivated by my coach today.”

26. Athlete Post Survey Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

27. Coaches Post Survey Key 1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat Disagree 3 = Somewhat Agree 4 = Agree

28. Observations • It was very common in practices for coaches to be frustrated with how the team performed during drills and frustrated with how they acted and reacted to simple requests from the coaches. • The coaches frequently agreed on expecting the most out of their athletes even though it was quite often the female athletes didn’t always agree or didn’t always know how to expect a lot from themselves.

29. Observations(continued…) • On the other side of the spectrum, the coaches frequently observed that they felt like they were enthusiastic during most practices and games. • During games some common themes were that the coaches yelled and felt frustrated 80% of the time while they also felt like they gave a lot of positive praise and acted enthusiastically. • From what the data shows, the coaches were dedicated and committed to the improvement of the basketball team.

30. Conclusions • At the beginning of this project it was assumed that the more a coach motivates through a cooperative coaching style, players will perform at higher levels. • Unfortunately, there was no indication that a cooperative style of coaching was demonstrated on a consistent basis during games and/or practices. Therefore, the team could not be motivated by a behavior that was not seen. • From the data collected it seemed that sometimes the coaches were not aware of the style they were using and reverted to more of the authoritarian style even when they wanted a more collaborative style. • The athletes often identified that authoritarian style rather than any other. • Although the coach believes that a democratic style of coaching will impact motivation and team climate for the enjoyment of the game of basketball, it is concluded that more research needs to be done on this phenomenon. • The results stand as inconclusive given the limitation on players, coaches and coaching styles.

31. Limitations & Challenges • The limited number of participants. • Limited number of coaching styles. • Athletes missing practices due to sickness or injury. • Athletes failing to fill out journal entries at appropriate time. • Next time the pre and post surveys will be identical to each other.

32. Questions???