A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF NCAA DIVISION IA COACHES ABOUT THE FIELD OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

This study was conducted using qualitative measures to determine how head coaches at NCAA Division IA schools perceive the field of sport psychology. Specifically, the following areas were addressed: (a) How do collegiate coaches perceive of the merit of the various titles used by professionals working in the area of sport and exercise psychology, (b) How do coaches perceive the field of sport psychology as a whole (i.e., the potential benefits of employing an sport psychology consultant (SPC)), and (c) What potential barriers must be overcome in order to make sport psychology more appealing and available to coaches and how might those barriers be overcome? A descriptive qualitative design was used to examine the coaches' perceptions. Fourteen coaches participated in semi-structured interviews to gain insight into how the coaching community perceives the field of sport psychology. All interviews were conducted over the phone, and the time required for the interviews ranged from 22-51 minutes (M = 34.5 minutes). Coaches' ages ranged from 38-64 years (M = 48 years) with the number of years as head coach at their respective schools ranging from 3-25 years (M = 12.29 years). Once completed, all interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through an inductive open coding process to allow themes to emerge from the data. Four major themes emerged from the data (i.e., perceptions, desires, barriers, and hierarchy), with 10 associated subthemes that described the overall perceptions and impressions of the participants. The coaches generally had a positive view of sport psychology and the services that SPCs are able to offer. However, they often expressed the fact that, despite their own personal opinions, they felt confined by a number of barriers that prevented them from hiring an SPC. Unfortunately, sport psychology is still viewed largely as too costly of a service and, as such, falls rather low on the list of needs that coaches must consider in the execution of their duties. In an attempt to provide a better understanding of the needs of collegiate coaches, a theoretical model for understanding where sport psychology ranks with regards to other support personnel was developed.