Exploring athletes’ perceptions of captain stress in competitive sporting environments

The present study aimed to extend upon previous research that has focused on the identification and effects of stressors in sport by exploring athletes’ perceptions of captain stress in competitive sport. A total of eight female university netball players, with an average of 10 years playing experience, were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. Questions were focused around several areas of enquiry: signals of stress, effects of stress on them as an athlete, and captain effectiveness when experiencing stress. The interviews were transcribed and, through the use of a thematic analysis method, the content of these transcriptions were analysed, firstly inductively, and secondly deductively to identify a range of emerging themes. The data suggested that athletes were able to detect when a captain was experiencing stress, typically via verbal communication, and non-verbal communication, through behaviour and appearance. Positive effects of the captain experiencing stress were minimally perceived, with the majority being negative personal influences on the athlete in terms of emotional change and general negative effects on the athletes. Furthermore, a widely acknowledged theme within the findings was that captains were deemed less effective when experiencing stress, which was reflected through their perceived lack of awareness, decline in performance (team and captain) and through the addition of more outcome dependent behaviour. Practical implications provide a strong rationale for captain education courses, as well as stress management and coping strategies for both the captain and athlete. The exploration of captain’s perceptions of stress first-hand is warranted and encouraged in future research