A Study of the Leadership and Coaching Behaviours of High Level Hurling Coaches

The purpose of the study was to examine the various factors which have an impact on the leadership and coaching behaviours of high-level hurling coaches. A considerable gap exists between the importance assigned to athletic leadership and the efforts to understand it (Reimer & Chelladurai, 1995). Inter-county senior hurling coaches (n = 35) were surveyed on a demographic questionnaire and their self-perception of leadership and coaching behaviours were analysed using the Revised Leadership Scale for Sport (Zhang, Jensen, & Mann, 1997). Descriptive data was collected on motives for coaching, roles of the coach, criteria for measuring success, sources of coach education and development. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted on quantitative data on the relationships between age, experience, coach education, and leadership. Results showed a significant relationship between age and situational consideration (P = .001), club coaching experience and training instruction (p = .020), and between inter-county coaching experience and training instruction (p = .023). The study demonstrated the value of experience in leadership and coaching behaviour and has implications for the future direction and content of coach education programmes