Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Masters of Science
Publication Date
2020
Granting Institution
John F. Kennedy University
Abstract
As the field of sport psychology has grown, researchers and applied practitioners have turned their attention from working solely with athletes to working with the coaches who lead those athletes. Coaches, with their various roles, constraints and stressors, are performers in their own right, in need of assistance with their mental performance (Giges, Petitpas & Vernacchia, 2004). The present study examined how emotional regulation is valued as a psychological skill among 10 high school varsity basketball coaches. Through semi structured interviews and thematic content analysis, the coaches' view on how emotions impact their coaching practice is explored. Results regarding their challenges and successes are presented, as well as techniques and sources of their ability to regulate emotions. The present study adds to the current sport psychology literature in the realm of coaching education and supports a direction towards enhanced social emotional learning among coaches.