Date

3-10-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Janet Vosen

Keywords

Team Chemistry, Team Cohesion, Women's Soccer, Soccer, LMX, Leader-Member Exchange, Coach-Player relationship

Disciplines

Leadership Studies

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences and practices collegiate women’s soccer coaches employ in building and managing team chemistry through the coach-player relationship. The theory guiding this study was Dansereau’s leader-member exchange theory, as it emphasizes a leader’s linear relationship with each team member and that the relationship can influence team chemistry. The central research question addressed the lived experiences of athletic leaders in building team chemistry among intercollegiate women’s soccer programs. This qualitative research was a hermeneutic phenomenological study on women’s soccer teams throughout the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Data collection was in the form of open-ended surveys, open-ended interviews, and the review of artifacts to pull the experiences from 10 coaches from across the country. The data revealed that there were three broad areas where relationships and team chemistry were developed. Players and coaches alike bring personality traits and characteristics that lean towards or away from developing relationships with others. The most important being communication, trust, respect, and accountability. The second path consisted of actions coaches practice to help develop those relationships, like daily connections, treating players like people, equity, and understanding one’s roles within the team. Lastly, coaches controlled the environment where certain activities occurred, including training and games, non-soccer-related activities, planned outings, and the creation of leadership groups within the team. These practices created the platform where team chemistry could thrive.

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