Exploring the perceptions of coaches regarding coach-athlete relationships when coaching Generation Z South African academy level rugby union players

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dc.contributor.advisorKraak, Wilbur Julioen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorGrobbelaar, Heinrichen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorLandman, Marc Dereken_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. Dept. of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medication.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-18T06:51:18Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T23:15:33Z
dc.date.available2024-02-18T06:51:18Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T23:15:33Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis (M Sport Sc)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: The coach-athlete relationship is not a mere by-product of the coaching process but serves as its very foundation (Jowett, 2005). Coaches and athletes share an interdependent relationship that connects them on emotional, cognitive, and behavioural levels (Jowett & Ntoumanis, 2004). To effectively coach athletes and cultivate strong coach-athlete relationships, coaches must understand their athletes, including their character, their strengths, and weaknesses. In today's landscape, adapting coaching approaches to align with an understanding of the athletes' characteristics is more crucial than ever before. Coaches now face the challenge of navigating a new generation of athletes, commonly referred to as Generation Z or Gen Z (Francis, 2018). Born between 1995 and 2012, these individuals have grown up in a digital age, shaping their character and behaviour (Rosen, 2010; Seemiller & Grace, 2016; Gould et al., 2020). The purpose of this study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the coach-athlete relationships with Gen Z academy level rugby players in the South African context. Drawing upon the research by Jowett (2005) and Gould et al. (2020), this study aimed to explore the perceptions of coaches regarding coach-athlete relationships, the factors that influence the coach-athlete relationship and will unpack the process of building healthy relationships from the coach's perspective. To achieve this, a qualitative research approach was utilised, capturing the subjective experiences and perspectives of the coaches through interviews. The 11 participants who agreed to be interviewed are highly trained or national level coaches with more than six years of experience at academy level rugby. The information collection process consisted of one-on-one semi-structured over Microsoft-Teams. The interview script was derived from the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) and in the 11 interviews, there was saturation of the elicited information. To analyse the information, Merriam and Tisdell’s (2016) six-step process of analysis was followed. Six main themes arose from the analysis. Theme one described the coaches' perspectives on working with Gen Z athletes. This theme was split up into three sub-themes, the characteristics of Gen Z which the coaches perceived facilitated their development and those characteristics which debilitated their development, and lastly the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the player’s development. Theme two looked at the first C in Jowett’s 3+1C’s model, which was a Closeness between coaches and athletes. This theme was split up into five themes that the coaches perceived closeness to cover: Loving and caring, getting closer, trusting, respecting, and not respecting some players. The third theme covered Commitment between both coaches and athletes. Commitment was broken into three sub-themes, committing personally, committing towards the team and sacrifices that were made. The fourth theme was the third C, Complementarity, this theme covered the sub-themes of goal setting and collectively working towards a common goal. The fifth theme and final C of the 3+1C’s was Co-orientation. The coaches perceived communication and how each party views their relationship with each other were important and became the two sub-themes. The sixth theme was the process of developing the coach-athlete relationship from the coaches' perspectives. This was broken down into the sub-themes of how the coaches can mentally approach developing the coach-athlete relationship and how they can practically build the coachathlete relationship. To conclude, all facets of the coach-athlete relationship are interlinked and have an impact on each other, and the characteristics of Gen Z effect the coach-athlete relationship. The insights from the coaches’ have been distilled into three practical applications. Firstly, working effectively with Gen Z athletes, secondly, cultivating the coach-athlete relationship and finally some key ideas for developing the coach-athlete relationship.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die afrigter-atleet verhouding is nie net ʼn by produk van die afrigtingsproses nie, maar dien as die grondslag (Jowett, 2005). Afrigters en atlete deel ʼn interafhanklike verwantskap wat hulle verbind op ʼn emosionele, kognitiewe en gedragskodes (Jowett & Ntoumanis, 2004). Om atlete effektief af te rig en ʼn sterk afrigter-atleet verhouding te kweek, moet afrigters hul atlete verstaan, wat insluit hul karakters, hul sterkpunte asook swakhede. In vandag se landskap is die aanpassing van afrigtingsbenaderings om in lyn te kom met 'n begrip van die atlete se kenmerke meer deurslaggewend as ooit tevore. Afrigters staar nou die uitdaging in die gesig om 'n nuwe generasie atlete te navigeer, wat algemeen na verwys word as Generasie Z of Gen Z (Francis, 2018). Gebore tussen 1995 en 2012, het hierdie individue groot geword in ʼn digitale tydperk wat hul karakters en optrede bepaal (Gould et al., 2020; Seemiller & Grace, 2016; Rosen, 2010). Die doel van die studie is om ʼn allesomvattende ondersoek te doen om die afrigters-atleet verhouding met Gen Z akademiese vlak rugby spelers in die Suid- Afrikaanse konteks. Die navorsing van Jowett (2005) en Gould et al. (2020) dien as vertrekpunt, en die huidige studie is daarop gemik om die persepsies van afrigters te bekom met betrekking afrigter-atleet verhoudings, die faktore wat die afrigter-atleet verhoudings beïnvloed en die proses om gesonde verhoudings te bou. Om dit te bereik is ʼn kwalitatiewe navorsings benadering gebruik, wat subjektiewe ondervinding en perspektiewe van die afrigters deur onderhoude vas te lê. Die 11 deelnemers wat bereid was om deel te neem aan die onderhoud is hoogs opgeleide nasionale vlak afrigters met meer as 6 jaar ondervinding met akademiese vlak rugby. Die inligting is bekom deur ʼn proses wat bestaan uit een-tot-een semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude via Microsoft Teams. Die onderhoud inhoud was bekom van die afrigtersatleetverhouding vraelys (Cart-Q) en in die 11 onderhoude, is al die onnodige inligting weggehaal. Om die inligting te analiseer, is Merriam en Tisdell (2016), se ses-stap proses van analise gevolg. Ses hooftemas het vanuit die analise ontstaan. Die eerste tema beskryf die afrigter se perspektief om met die Gen Z atlete te werk. Hierdie tema is opgedeel in drie sub-temas, die kenmerke van Gen Z wat die afrigters beskou het hul ontwikkeling vergemaklik en daardie eienskappe wat hul ontwikkeling verswak het, en laastens die uitwerking van die COVID-19-pandemie op die speler se ontwikkeling. Die tweede tema beskryf die eerste C in Jowett se 3+1 C’s model, wat die nabyheid tussen afrigter en atleet bepaal. Hierdie tema is opgedeel in vyf sub-temas wat die afrigters beskou het as nabyheid om te bedek: liefde en omgee, benadering, vertroue, respek en nie respek betoon aan sekere spelers. Die derde tema behandel oor toewyding tussen afrigters en atlete. Toewyding word in drie dele bespreek, toegewyde persoon, toewyding aan die span en opofferings wat gemaak is. Die vierde tema is die derde C, komplementariteit, hierdie tema dek die sub-temas van doelwitstelling en gesamentlik aan ʼn gemeenskaplike doel te werk. Die 5de tema en finale C van die 3+1 C’s was ko-oriëntasie. Die afrigters neem kommunikasie waar en hoe elke party hul verhouding met elkeen beskou is belangrik en word dus 2 subtemas. Die 6de tema was die proses van ontwikkeling van die afrigter-atleet verhouding van die afrigter se perspektief. Dit was opgebreek in 2 sub-temas van hoe die afrigters geestelik die ontwikkeling van die afrigters-atleet verhouding en hoe kan hulle prakties bou aan die afrigter-atleet verhouding. Om af te sluit, al die fasette van die afrigter-atleet verhouding is inmekaar geskakel en het ʼn impak op mekaar, en die karakter eienskappe van Gen Z effek op die afrigter-atleet verhouding. Die insig van die afrigter is verwerk in drie praktiese toepassings. Eerstens om effektief te werk met Gen Z atlete, tweedens, kweek die afrigter-atleet verhouding en laastens, sleutel idees van ontwikkeling van die afrigter-atleet verhouding.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentxiii, 164 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130593
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshGeneration Zen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCoach-athlete relationshipsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCoaching (Athletics) -- Psychological aspectsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshExecutive coachingen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSocial psychologyen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshRugby Union football players -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleExploring the perceptions of coaches regarding coach-athlete relationships when coaching Generation Z South African academy level rugby union playersen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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