Effective Communication and Short-Term Decision Makers: Effective Coach Communication Within the Coach/Official Dynamic in Athletic Competition
Open Access
Author:
Lemler, Jake
Area of Honors:
Communication Arts and Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Denise Haunani Solomon, Thesis Supervisor Mary High, Thesis Honors Advisor James Dillard, Thesis Supervisor
Keywords:
Official Coach Sports Communication Effective Communication Umpire Referee
Abstract:
In sports, winning is everything. Coaches will do whatever is necessary to gain an advantage for their team or competitor to get the win. But often it is not them who decide the outcome. Neutral third-party officials who maintain rules and order during the game or competition often make decisions which determine the outcomes. It is therefore imperative that coaches understand how and why officials make the decisions they do and how to effectively communicate with them during the game or contest. The purpose of this study is the latter of those two goals: determining the most effective methods of communication by coaches with officials during a game or contest. For this purpose, over three hundred officials were surveyed. We were able to conclude that officials can separate their views of coaches from teams, however there are several dimensions of communication which can impact the feelings of an official toward a team or coach.
