Knowledge and coaching effectiveness : an exploratory study of two successful Finnish American football coaches

Abstract

This study examined successful Finnish American football coaching practices to understand their perceptions of successful coaching knowledge. The study was used to examine two suc- cessful head coaches from Finland who have run the most successful American football teams in the highest leagues for the past 10 years. To determine what specific coaching knowledge is perceived to be effective and how some of the information matches the current literature on coaching effectiveness and expertise, semi-structured interviews were conducted in a hermeneutic fashion. The significant themes emerged from the study: Stories, Creating climate, culture, and collective thinking; the Importance of planning and decision-making, Interpersonal development, and learning. An integrated coaching effectiveness framework developed by Jean Côté and Wade Gilbert (2009) was used to examine the current context. Based on the framework, results indicated that head coaches had established an environment that consisted of common goals, team culture, values, and a collective mindset as these characteristics were proposed to guide their teams to success. Furthermore, based on interpersonal knowledge characteristics, coaches placed importance on building trust with their players, additionally emphasizing communication being of the most critical coaching skills in this category. Further results indicated that Head coaches' knowledge based on professional knowledge components that emphasize planning and decision-making abilities in American football coaching.