Relationship between score and coaches’ verbal behavior

Abstract

The way the coach act the most during the development of the game is meanwhile verbal behaviour directed to their players (Moreno et al., 2000), being it influenced by his own cognitions, motivations, and emotions, together with players behaviours and playing situation (Borrie, 1996; Smoll & Smith, 1989). The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between a situational variable, the score during the game, and verbal behaviour of handball coaches in competitive situation. To do this, five coaches were analysed in five games. Two variables were studied in that games, coach’s verbal behaviour and score, defining three situations in the second case: large win, set score and large defeat. Coaches’ verbal behaviour was coded according to Coach Analysis and Intervention System (Cushion et al., 2012). Results showed significant differences in the coaches’ verbal behaviour depending on the score (Chi-Square=239.44; df=40; p<.001). Specifically, ‘general feedback positive’ was most repeated in set score. ‘Instruction’ appeared more frequently and ‘management-criticisms’ less often in large win situation. ‘Management-direct’, ‘confer with assistant’ and ‘question’ were more repeated in the large defeat. Prevalence of confers with assistant and questions on large defeat situation represents low quality of verbal behaviour. This result is consistent with those obtained by Guzmán & Calpe-Gomez (2012), which reported that negative actions generated increasing doubts and insecurity in the coach. On the other side, the low number of management-criticisms and the high percentage of instructions on large win imply a high quality of intervention. Results confirm that having good results allows coaches to feel less pressed, enabling them to show a more relaxed and variable intervention (Moreno et al., 2004).