Elite coaches' interactions with their superiors and assistants: applying the concepts of orchestration and micropolitical literacy to a new context

Abstract

While coaching research has always been concerned with how sports coaches interact with their players, far less attention has been paid to how coaches interact with superiors and staff members at their clubs. We argue that the way coaches handle this side of their profession can have a large impact on how well they are able to do their job. This paper attempts to shed a light on how expert football coaches interact with other people at their club in order to improve their working conditions and achieve their goals. This is done through qualitative interviews with three Norwegian coaches with an average of 25 years experience of high-level coaching. The interview data are subjected to a process of directed content analysis, building on a theoretical framework consisting of orchestration metaphor, the study of micropolitics and the three aspects of micropolitical literacy. The discussion chapter goes into detail on how the coaches handle the negotiation process before being hired by club, how they deal with their superiors, how they deal with the staff, and what happens when the team is going through periods of poor performances and results. Finally, suggestions are made for how other coaches can improve their ability to handle this aspect of the coaching profession. Implications for coach education are discussed