Decision-making factors related to a youth ice hockey coach during games: A case study.

The research study was part of an ongoing project on the cognitive aspect of coaching amateur ice hockey. The purpose of the current research study was to identify the decision-making factors that youth ice hockey coaches consider during games. A single case study was conducted with a coach involved with a Major PeeWee "AA" competitive hockey team. Data were obtained through one background interview, 12 game videotapes, and 12 stimulated-recall interview game transcripts. An inductive analysis of the transcripts indicated that over half of the actions (n = 144) took place when the coach talked to one or more players (n = 76) and that the main goal was to inform or give feedback to his players. In general, the most common factors considered by the coach were: player(s) performance on the ice, game score/outcome, time of game/time restraints, habits/history of team or player, game official(s) performance, and skill level of team/player(s). Contrary to what has been suggested in some decision-making process models, the coach in this study used many different factors other than just players' performance in his decisions. (Abstract shortened by UMI.