Date

1-16-2025

Department

Graduate School of Business

Degree

Master of Science in Sport Management (MS)

Chair

Jeff Briggs

Keywords

transformational leadership, servant leadership, transactional leadership, shared leadership, shared leadership, swimming, Olympic Head Swimming Coaches

Disciplines

Sports Management | Sports Studies

Abstract

The role of leadership is paramount in successful sport coaching. The current study explored the realm of coaching in swimming to gain a deeper understanding of the unique and diverse leadership styles of U.S. Olympic Head Swimming Coaches. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design using a case study approach with two specific cases. Purposeful sampling was utilized to investigate two former U.S. Olympic Head Swimming Coaches with a combined 80 years of elite professional swim coach experience. Through semi-structured interviews and detailed questions, meaningful insight was gained into coaching practices, athlete interactions, and self-perceived effectiveness. Data analysis utilizing narrative analysis was used for final data interpretation. Findings revealed six themes arose to the surface for significant review, along with noteworthy similarities and differences between the two respondents. Most notably, both coaches exhibited strong transformational and servant leadership characteristics, with the unexpected addition of shared leadership traits. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively examine and characterize the distinct leadership styles of United States Olympic Swimming Head Coaches.

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