BTEC National
(Performance and Excellence)
Workbook 6.2
Name:
Target Grade:
P
M D
2
Unit 6
Psychology for Sports Performance
In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs
to demonstrate that they can meet all of the learning outcomes for the unit. The criteria
for a pass grade describe the level of achievement required to pass this unit.
To achieve a PASS grade
your responses must show
that you are able to:
To achieve a MERIT grade
your responses must show
that you are able to:
To achieve a
DISTINCTION grade
responses must show that
you are able to:
P2) Identify the personality
characteristics and
motivation of TWO
contrasting sports
performers.
M2) Compare and
contrast the personality
characteristics of TWO
sports performers.
D2) Critically analyse the
link between personality
and motivation of TWO
contrasting athletes.
P3) Describe the
importance of teamwork for
successful performance in
TWO contrasting sporting
activities.
M3) Compare the value
and impact of teamwork for
successful performance in
TWO contrasting sporting
activities.
D3) Critically evaluate the
value and impact of
teamwork for successful
performance in TWO
contrasting sporting
activities, offering
recommendations for future
activities.
P4) Describe the influence
and effects of stress and
anxiety on sports
performance.
M4) Compare the effects
of stress and anxiety on
sports performance.
D4) Critically analyse the
effects of stress and
anxiety on sports
performance, providing
recommendations for
changes as appropriate.
P5) Identify TWO coping
strategies that are used to
enhance performance.
M5) Explain the selected
coping strategies and the
ways that they can
enhance performance.
D5) Critically evaluate the
effects of the selected
coping strategies and the
ways that they can be used
to enhance performance.
P1) Define the key
characteristics of
personality and describe
the main reasons that
THREE contrasting
athletes compete in their
chosen sport.
6.2 Psychology for Sports Performance
Workbook 6.2 Outline
Workbook 6.2 The first part of this assignment is defining and applying Team Cohesion
terminology. The second part is showing how each component impacts on team
performance. If you are brave the third part looks are similarities and successful and
unsuccessful teams.
L1
Defining teamwork and the components of a team.
L2
Understanding and assessing group cohesion.
L3
Understanding and assessing group cohesion.
L4
Checking your understanding of Team Cohesion.
L5
Applying the team cohesion formula.
L6
Case Study: The 3rd Round of the FA Cup
L7
Applied teamwork, Clive Woodward and the England Rugby Team
L8
A review of Clive Woodward and the England Rugby Team
L9
An introduction to leadership.
L10
Leader dynamics and leader styles
Signposted Resources
Web sites
The England Patient.
www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0988.htm
6.2 Improving Teamwork in Football.
Clive Woodward documentary and
autobiography.
Sacred Hoops – The story of how Phil Jackson
created the infamous Chicago Bulls team that
won FIVE NBA Champions.
Student Comment Tip
‘I found it much easier to report of games I had played in, I had a real feel for what
happened in the game. Much of it had to do with how I played in the game.’
‘The work on the distinction task was difficult but really helped in year 2 with the
Principles of Coaching.’
MERIT Grade

Selects games very carefully
before applying the
teamwork worksheets.
DISTINCTION Grade

Watch the videos of two teams in action to
gather excellent and specific examples.

Read the Sir Clive’s book or research the
man.
4
Psychology for Sports Performance
Chapter 6.2
Learning Outcome 2: Investigate the importance of teamwork in sporting situations
'The most important factor was the spirit of the team. They just don't give in, they don't
know how to give in. A manager can talk all day about tactics and preparation, but if the
players can't bring the inner beast out of them then he's wasting his time. Well, they've
got that beast inside them. And they found it when it mattered.' Alex Ferguson
Task 1:
P3
 Define the terms of ‘teamwork’ and provide an example from a range of contrasting





sport situations through a powerpoint or slide presentation.
Suggest TWO reasons why a player might social loaf.
Suggest TWO reasons why a player may experience Individual Motivation Loss.
Describe how the Ringlemann Effect may be applied in football management.
Review TWO contrasting football performances (from personal experience or a
televised game) and describe how teamwork contributed to EACH performance.
Make sure you review TWO separate games.
Complete Worksheet 6.2.1
Task 2:




M3
Review typically winning and typically losing teams. Compare and consider the
impact of teamwork on performance.
Apply the productivity formula.
Complete Worksheet 6.2.2
In order to achieve M3 you must have read Steve McClaren’s article on
winning and losing teams AND 6.2 Improving Teamwork in Football.
Task 3:

Case Study: Critically evaluate the value and impact of teamwork for successful
performance on England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup victory and ONE other team or
you may use a movie team.
Coach Carter?

D3
Varsity Blues?
Any Given Sunday?
Offer recommendations for future activities that the coach or manager may
employ to promote team cohesion in the TWO situations evaluated.
P3) Describe the
importance of teamwork
for successful
performance in TWO
contrasting sporting
activities.
M3) Compare the value
and impact of teamwork
for successful
performance in TWO
contrasting sporting
activities.
D3) Critically evaluate the
value and impact of teamwork
for successful performance in
TWO contrasting sporting
activities, offering
recommendations for future
activities.
5
Psychology for Sports Performance
Chapter 6.2
L1
Defining teamwork and the components of a team.
Q Can you identity a truly ‘great’ or outstanding team?
‘I have never been interested in simply sending out a collection of brilliant individuals.
There is no substitute for talent but, on the field, talent without unity of purpose is
hopelessly devalued currency.’ Alex Ferguson
Groups and Team Cohesion
Before we can discuss teamwork, we must first define a team or group.
Q How many people make a group?
1
2
3
4
5
A group is ‘a collective identity, a sense of shared purpose or objectives, structured
patterns of interaction, structured modes of communication, personal and / or task
interdependence and interpersonal attraction,’ (Carron, 1980).
Lets take a look at the definition.
Collective identity – Southampton FC, club badge, playing and training kit.
Shared purpose – Win the Championship for example.
Structured patterns of interaction – Team tactics and systems of play and set pieces
for example.
Communication – Team meetings, contract negotiations and language for example.
Personal AND / OR Task interdependence – The manager picks the team. The
players win or lose the game. The QB makes the play and the defensive line collectively
protects him.
Interpersonal attraction – The degree to which the members of the team like one
another.
Q Do team mates have to like one another?
Re-write the ‘group’ definition so that you understand it.
6
Gladiator
Q What on earth does group cohesion have to do with Maximus Decimus
Meridius? ‘Are you not entertained?’
‘On this day we reach back to hallowed antiquity to bring you a recreation of a second
Fall of Mighty Carthage. On the barren straits of Zama, there stood the invincible armies
of the Barbarian Hannibal. Ferocious mercenaries and warriors from all brute nations
bent on merciless destruction conquest. Your Emperor is pleased to give you the
Barbarian Horde!’
Collective identity:
‘When the Emperor enters, raise your weapons, salute him and then speak together.
Face the Emperor and don't turn your back on him. Go and die with honour.’
The collect identify of the group is that they are slaves.
Q How can you tell the ‘slave’ gladiators apart from the Roman gladiators? How can you
distinguish the two groups apart?
Q How is the leader appointed? Group appointed?
Emergent?
Self Appointed?
Shared purpose:
‘Whatever comes out of these gates, we have got a better chance of survival if we work
together. Do you understand? If we stay together, we survive!’
Q The shared purpose of the slave gladiators is ________________________?
Structured patterns of interaction:
Q What group tactics do the slave gladiators employ to survive?
Q What happens to those gladiators who fail to stay together?
Q What group tactics do the slaves employ to up end the chariots?
7
Communication
Q What do theses terms mean? ‘Hold ... Diamond! Diamond!’ and ‘Single column!’
If you are unsure, who do they mean to the soldiers?
Personal interdependence AND / OR Task interdependence:
Q Does Maximus ever fulfil a solitary role?
Interpersonal attraction – The degree to which the members of the team like one
another.
Q Is there any evidence that these slave gladiators show to indicate interpersonal
attraction?
‘Teamwork isn’t simple. In fact, it can be frustrating, decisive commodity. That’s why
there’s so many bad teams out there, stuck in neutral or going down hill. Teamwork
doesn’t thrive just because of the presence of talent or ambition. It doesn’t flourish
because the team has tasted success.’ Pat Riley
8
Group Cohesion
L2
Understanding and assessing group cohesion.
Group cohesion then, is ‘the dynamic process that is reflected in the tendency for a
group to stick together and remain united in the pursuits of its instrumental objectives
and/or for the satisfaction of member affective needs,’ (Carron, Brawley, Widmeyer,
1998).
More simply, cohesion is the motivational aspects of a group which attract individual
members to the group and the resistance of those members to breaking up.
‘What is decisive in critical situations is the atmosphere in the squad. A good
atmosphere is not something that can be built up in a short time. It takes work and
patience.’ Sven Goran Eriksonn
Team Task:
Think of a team with strong cohesion?
Q What attracts players to that group or club? Or resistances to breaking up?
(Interpersonal attraction? / Shared Purpose?)
9
Q What reasons are there to leave a football club? Who said it? What as the outcome?
‘The players have been asked questions and they are just not coming up with the
answers. I am sick of having to say it and they are sick of listening to me…. When they
sign the contracts, they think they have made it. They owe it to the manager, the staff
and the fans.’
'Whilst it is a sad day for me to leave such a great club and manager I believe that the
time has now come for me to move on.’
Assessing Teamwork or Cohesion
‘The difference between mediocrity and greatness is the feeling players have for each
other. Most people call it team spirit. When a team is inspired with that special feeling,
you know you’ve got a winning team.’ Vince Lombardi
Undoubtedly the most successful teams play as a cohesive unit, but not all. ‘Mutual
appreciation and trust does not require close friendship.’ However, the nature of football
almost always requires players to interact for the team to be successful but there are
rare occasions where dysfunctional teams experience success. There is objective
evidence to support the need for cohesion in team games and it has been proven that:
Actual Productivity = Potential Productivity – Faulty Processes
10
Actual Productivity = Potential Productivity – Faulty Processes
Actual Productivity: refers to the output in the game situation.
Actual productivity CAN NEVER be higher than potential productivity.
At the professional level the score is the most important factor but it often does not tell
the whole story. Statistics are frequently used to assess actual productivity.
Taunton's College 2
Totton College 0
Give TWO further actual productivity statistics.
1.
2.
Potential Productivity: refers to the output, which would be possible from the team if
each player performed to their maximum potential on the day.
Consider Potential productivity to be FIXED at the start of the game.
‘We can say though, it is not enough to simply take the best players in the belief that
they will produce the best team.’ Sven Goran Eriksonn.
Over the past few seasons Real Madrid has assembled a galaxy of stars, hence the
nickname ‘Los Galacticos.’ Since the year 2000 they added Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo,
Beckham and Owen (if temporarily) to play alongside Raul, Carlos and Casillas. So,
with all these superstars in their squad, if every player played to their potential
where should they finish in La Liga?
1st
2nd
3rd
6th
At the end of the 2003-4, Real Madrid lost their last five matches to end the
season without a trophy for the first time in five years, Real Madrid severely
under achieved. What position are Real Madrid currently in?
11
Faulty Process
‘One thing I needed to be particularly mindful of was the effects success was having on
the player. Success tends to distort reality to make everybody, coaches as well as
players, to forget their shortcomings and exaggerate their contributions. Soon they
begin to lose sight of what made them successful in the first place.’ Phil Jackson.
Faulty Processes: these processes detract from team performance.
In ‘The Mental Health of the Team: Dealing with Success or Failure and Reviewing the
Challenges Ahead,’ Steve McClaren identifies faulty processes for both winning and
losing teams.
Task: Rank order those you consider to be the most dangerous to a winning team?
The Potential Winners: Their task is to maintain the composure, discipline, and
‘winning’ mentality that has served them so well to achieve this position. The great
psychological dangers facing the leading clubs are:
 Complacency: Players and Coaches believing their own publicity.
 Mental Fatigue: Along with physical fatigue will diminish mental toughness.
 Loss of Hunger: Players stop enjoying competing; do not want to go full distance.
 Fear of Success: Players become passive and start to avoid responsibility.
 Distractions: Everyone wants a piece of the likely champions.
 Loss of Concentration: Thinking only of results and not performance.
 Loss of Focus: Everyone losing sight or faith in the script set at the start of the
season, and celebrating too early.
12
Task: Rank order those you consider to be the most dangerous to a losing team?
The Potential Losers: A focus on failure and worry about the consequences: A fixation
on results rather than performance.
 Becoming blind to any success: Players finding proof they are no good.
 Poor Concentration: Players and Coaches become distracted by focusing on what
they can not do.
 Lack of confidence: negative self belief, talk and behaviour.
 Low Self-Esteem: Everyone blaming rather than take responsibility.
 Emotional rather than rational responses to incidents.
 Fear and uncertainty about the future.
 Decline in mental toughness: Players looking for an excuse to return to their ‘comfort
zone’.
'I spend a lot of time taking the aggression out of my players,' he reasons. ‘All a player
has to do is begin to argue with the referee, play dirty or quarrel with the opposition for
his performance level to sink like a stone.’ Sven Goran Eriksson
Both winning and losing seasons bring their own array of psychological problems for
players and teams, and the successful coach will have a real feeling and sensitivity for
the frame of mind of his players and, when necessary, take appropriate and pro-active
action to restore attitudes to the positive.
13
Factors Contributing to Team Effectiveness
L3
Understanding and assessing group cohesion.
‘There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles.
Most of the time, those players aren't willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the
team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes
individual goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you
think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves.
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.’ Michael Jordon
Co-ordination: Refers to how well the
individuals or components of a team work
together. This is similar to the structured
patterns of interaction encouraged by
Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator.
In football, consider the coordination
between the manager’s tactics and the
players application. Consider the
coordination between the back four the
midfield. Equally so, between the midfield
and the strikers. Sometimes a teams
performance is seamless whereas there
are times where no player seems to be on
the same wavelength or reading from the
same hymn sheet.
Q Suggest TWO ways to improve team coordination?
‘The Full Monty.’
1.
2.
Q What has coordination got to do with a 3-1 home win for Southampton FC versus
Premiership Champions Manchester United FC? Or Barcelona’s FC away kit in 05-06?
OR Bill Shankly introducing Liverpool’s FC all red home kit?
14
Suggest THREE instances in a match where co-ordination within a unit, or a series of
units within a team is essential?
1.
2.
3.
Communication: Former Chelsea FC manager Claudio
Raniero experienced some difficulty in getting his superstars
to play to their potential productivity. The ‘Tinker-man’s’
many critics highlighted the team’s lack of coordination.
Can you think of any other sports where communication is
coded?
1.
2.
Social Loafing:
‘A detachment from the group that occurs when group members feel as if they are not
needed to produce the group's outcome or as if their individual efforts are not
recognized by other members.’
Although whole teams of players rarely experience poor performances simultaneously,
individual players can quite often not reach their own personal potential.
Q Suggest THREE reasons why a player may loaf or detach from the group? Another
way of looking at it is, when would a normally NACH players become a NAF player?
1.
2.
3.
15
Do you continue to strive in impact on the game?
Actual productivity CAN NEVER be higher than potential productivity.
‘It is our self-given task to make every single player a better player on an individual
basis, and if everyone becomes better, it is only a matter of time before the team
becomes better.’ Jurgen Klinsmann
The ‘Ringleman Effect.’ Size Matters!
The Ringelmann effect refers to a combination of social loafing and coordination
losses. Coordination loss refers to the lack of simultaneity of effort in groups, which
interferes with efficiently combining individual inputs.
French engineer Ringelmann (1861-1931) exhibited the phenomenon by getting first
individuals and then groups, to pull on a rope attached to a strain gauge to measure the
pull force. Surprisingly, the sum of the individual pulls did not equal the total of the group
pulls. Three people pulled at only 2.5 times the average individual performance, and 8
pulled at less than a fourfold performance.
The group result was much less than the sum of individual efforts.
Ringelmann noticed that, as you added more and more people to a group pulling on a
rope, the total force exerted by the group rose, but the average force exerted by each
group member declined. The Ringelmann Effect thus describes the inverse
relationship between the size of a team and the magnitude of group member's individual
contribution to the accomplishment of the task.
‘The idea that individual efforts decrease as the size of the group increases.’
‘The tendency of members of groups to work less hard when group performance is
measured than when individual performance is measured.’
Losses due to the ‘Ringlemann Effect’ are greatest when;
Individual contributions are not easily recognisable OR identifiable.
16
‘I hate to work with big squads.’ Mourinho
Q What were Mourinho’s first actions as the NEW Chelsea coach? How did his action
immediately improve coordination? Why is the number 23 important?
Can you explain why Chelsea’s performance improved with less people in the squad?
Use the terms communication, recognized contributions and identifiability in your
answer.
Individual Motivation Loss IML or Burn out
IML occurs when sports people who have previously been highly committed to a sport
lose interest and motivation. Typically it will occur in hard working, hard training, hard
driven people, who become emotionally, psychologically or physically exhausted.
Q Suggest TWO factors that might lead to IML?
1.
2.
Extension activity: Strategies to reduce social loafing, the Ringlemann effect and
IML.
Q How a football manager or coach would apply each remedy?
1. Emphasize individual pride and unique contributions
2. Increase the identifiability of individual performances
Testing? Heart Rate monitors?
3. Break down the team into smaller units
Meetings?
17
Powerpoint Presentation
L4
Checking your understanding of Team Cohesion.
‘Maybe we are not as good as we think, maybe I am not such a good boss, maybe the
players are not such good players.’
Design a powerpoint or slide presentation of images that depict the terms we have
reviewed and include definitions or quotations that help define the key terms shown in
the images.
Collective identity:
Shared purpose:
Structured patterns of interaction:
Communication
Personal interdependence AND / OR Task interdependence:
Interpersonal attraction – The degree to which the members of the team like one
another.
(Faulty Processes and coordination - if you so chose.)
Extract from an interview with Italy’s Marcelo Lippi
From a coach’s perspective, what does it take to win either the UEFA Champions
League or the World Cup?
The most important thing is to have the ability to involve top-level players. There is very
little a coach can do if he can’t count on top players –you need quality players to
produce results. So it is about recruitment, selection and the ability to gel those players
into an effective team. The more stars you have in the team, the more you need to work
hard to bring the group together, to make the team compact and in total harmony. You
have to make each player feel equally useful, but not indispensable. Every time I start
working with a team, the first thing I emphasize is that a team is made up of people who
respect each other and who place themselves at each other’s service. If nobody acts
like a prima donna, then the group is destined to achieve great results. By contrast, if all
the players cater to their own self interest, it is going to be rather difficult; you will have
some spectacular moments of football, but in the end the teamswhich have a
‘we’mentality will prevail.
18
Applied Sport Psychology
L5
Applying the team cohesion formula.
Review the infamous FA Cup Fourth Round Replay report between Manchester City
and Tottenham Hotspur and apply the sports psychology terminology.
Tottenham Hotspur
King 2
Keane 19
Ziege 43
3-4
Manchester City
Distin 48
Bosvelt 61
Wright-Phillips 80
Macken 90
No scriptwriter would dare pen such a drama. Manchester City, three goals and a man
down at half-time, were on the ropes before they staged one of the most magnificent FA
Cup comebacks in history to stun their hosts, Tottenham Hotspur.
1st Half
The White Hart Lane crowd, so used to glory nights in this competition, were in buoyant
mood after Spurs' new signing, Jermain Defoe, was introduced to his new adoring
public prior to kick-off. The vibrant buzz around the stadium turned to ecstatic cheers
just two minutes into the game when centre-back Ledley King pulled off a smart turn in
the penalty area to unleash a well-struck left-footed shot past City's debut-making
goalkeeper Arni Arason. Tottenham were in rampant mood and soon scored their
second when Robbie Keane latched onto a wonderful floated pass from captain
Stephen Carr. The Republic of Ireland international controlled the ball with a deft first
touch and stylishly clipped the ball past Arason. Even at 2-0, there seemed to be no
way back for Kevin Keegan's side. Devoid of any imagination, only Shaun WrightPhillips and Paul Bosvelt looked to be in form and when Nicolas Anelka was withdrawn
from proceedings just before the half-hour. When, two minutes before the break Joey
Barton brought down Michael Brown, a hush decended around White Hart Lane, almost
as if they knew what was about to happen. From a central position, up stepped
Christian Ziege to curl home a brilliant free-kick, high into Arason's top left-hand corner.
City's misery was compounded on the stroke of half-time when young Barton was sent
off for something he said to the referee.
Q How would Manchester City respond? Why are 10 often harder to beat than 11?
19
2nd
Half
At that point, Keegan's side were staring into the abyss but the former England
manager earned his spurs as he delivered a half-time team-talk that stunned his side
into action. It all started when Distin scored an apparent consolation goal on 47
minutes. The way the French centre-back managed to ghost in at the back post should
have been cause for alarm in the Tottenham ranks and with City building on the
goal and looking to be by far the brighter side, Spurs should have tightened things up.
They had obviously failed to settle and the momentum had clearly swung towards the
visitors from Manchester. Wright-Phillips and Sinclair suddenly were a pair of twinkletoed midfield tricksters and Dutch international Paul Bosvelt increasingly started to
dictate play in the middle of the pitch. Two minutes after the goal, City could have had
scored again only for Macken to hit a weak shot at Keller but moments later City made
it 3-2 when Bosvelt scored the only fortuitous goal of the evening. Tarnat again
delivered a good cross from wide which King failed to head clear. Bosvelt picked the
ball up on the edge of the area and smacked a low drive towards goal. As the ball
bounced up, Anthony Gardner stuck out a leg and deflected the ball past a stranded
Kasey Keller - suddenly it was game on.
Q In front of a home crowd, how would the Spurs players being feeling at 3-2?
More importantly, how would the Manchester City’s players be feeling?
Wright-Phillips, getting better and better with every passing moment, was cutting
through the Spurs midfield with consumate ease and his link play was justly rewarded
when he grabbed City's equaliser with ten minutes left. A shocked White Hart Lane fell
silent when Fowler held the ball up before supplying the flying winger with a perfect
through-pass. Wright-Phillips ran clear of substitute Johnnie Jackson, got to the ball
ahead of Keller and struck the perfect chip over the American keeper. 3-3!
Stunned and disbelieving, Tottenham launched an all-out attack on the City goal. Twice
Arason gave away corners needlessly but still Tottenham couldn't get past the
increasingly solid City back four. Tottenham's advances suited City's counter-attacking
style and as the game went into injury time. Arason’s early pass to Wright-Phillips
wriggle set him off on a jinking run which eventually saw the ball worked out to Tarnat
on the left. Once again the German knocked in a dangerous-looking cross and once
again the Tottenham defence couldn't deal with the ball. John Macken, running in at the
back post, stooped low and headed the ball back across the face of goal and into the
bottom right corner of Keller's goal - the comeback was complete.
Q Nicolas Anelka was not performing, therefore detracting from the team’s performance
actual productivity. What were the psychological reasons behind removing him?
a) By bringing on another player the coach was decreasing potential productivity?
b) By bringing on another player the coach was increasing potential productivity?
c) By removing a faulty process the coach was increasing actual productivity?
20
Psychology of Sports Performance
Apply the definitions to Manchester City’s performance.
GAME 1
Background information:
Team
Briefly make an assessment of the team cohesion coming into the
game.
Team cohesion
Bullet points are effective here.
Actual
Productivity
Potential
Productivity
Describe the teams potential productivity at the start of the
performance.
Faulty Processes Identify at least TWO faulty processes.
Faulty
Processes
Describe how teamwork contributed to Manchester City’s performance.
Apply the
productivity
formula.
Give examples.
Communication
Coordination
Social Loafing
Who? Why?
If there is NO Social Loafing state why not? This might be difficult to include
and is optional. State if not applicable
21
Psychology of Sports Performance
Complete the same process for recent match that you were involved in or watched.
GAME 2
Background information:
Team
Briefly make an assessment of the team cohesion coming into the
game.
Team cohesion
Bullet points are effective here.
Actual
Productivity
Potential
Productivity
Describe the teams potential productivity at the start of the
performance.
Faulty Processes Identify at least TWO faulty processes.
Faulty
Processes
Describe how teamwork contributed to Manchester City’s performance.
Apply the
productivity
formula.
Give examples.
Communication
Coordination
Social Loafing
Who? Why?
If there is NO Social Loafing state why not? This might be difficult to include
and is optional. State if not applicable
22
Case Study: The
L6
3rd
Round of the FA Cup
Case Study: The 3rd Round of the FA Cup
Actual Productivity = Potential Productivity – Faulty Processes
Hereford 2-1 Newcastle 1972
FA Cup third round replay, 1972. Non-league Hereford United produced
one of the greatest FA Cup upsets ever when they beat First Division
Newcastle 2-1. Newcastle looked destined to make it to the fourth round
thanks to a late goal by Malcolm McDonald. But the non-leaguers had
other ideas and Ronnie Radford popped up to score the most famous 30yard goal in Cup history to take the game into extra time. Substitute Ricky
George scored the winner!
Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal 1992
Second in the Premiership against 24th in the Third Division. Reigning league
champions Arsenal made the trip to Racecourse Ground for what was supposed to be
an elementary exercise in disposing of lower division fodder. The Gunners had taken
the lead just before half time courtesy of Alan Smith and were just 10 minutes from
securing their passage to the fourth round but up stepped former Manchester United
firebrand Mickey Thomas, who unleashed a 25-yard free-kick past David Seaman. Two
minutes later Steve Watkin surged into the Arsenal area to strike home the winner.
Using the productivity formula, can you explain the giant killing heroics of the minnows
of non-league and lower league clubs.
There are a number of resources on the I Drive, interviews with over performing teams
(Trinidad and Tobago) and coaches (Aide Boothroyd) – take a look.
23
Clive Woodward and the England Rugby Team
L7
Applied teamwork, Clive Woodward and the England Rugby Team
To help you complete the MERIT task and work towards the DISTINCTION task watch
the DVD of Clive Woodward’s approach to winning the Rugby World Cup. If you want to
investigate further, his book is also in the library.
Q How would you describe Sir Clive Woodward as a leader?
(Autobiography in the library)
Q Which strategies did Sir Clive Woodward employ to improve his team communication
and coordination in particular?
Q Did the team suffer from faulty processes? If so, how / when were they dealt with?
Watch it again in the library

In order to achieve M3 you must have read Steve McClaren’s article on
winning and losing teams and 6.2 Improving Teamwork in Football.
‘Winning does not happen in straight lies.’ Sir Clive Woodward.
The leaders?
Communication
Coordination
Faulty Processes?
Clive Woodward and England Rugby Team
L8
A review of Clive Woodward and the England Rugby Team
What links are the links to ‘The England Patient.’
Task 3:

Case Study: Critically evaluate the value and impact of teamwork for successful
performance on England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup victory and ONE other
international team or you may use a movie team.
Coach Carter?

D3
Varsity Blues?
Any Given Sunday?
Offer recommendations for future activities that the coach or manager may
employ to promote team cohesion in the TWO situations evaluated.
26
Introductory Activity
Missionaries and Cannibals
This is a strategic game and requires the teams to solve the problem.
Rules:


THREE missionaries and THREE cannibals come to a river and find a rowing boat
that holds only TWO people at any one time. If the cannibals ever outnumber the
missionaries on either bank, the missionaries will be eaten and the task is
incomplete. How do they ALL cross to the others side?
Remember the rowing boat must be rowed by someone.
The winning team must write down their successful strategy and be able to successfully
present their strategy to the other group.
M = Missionaries
C = Cannibals
The winning team successfully presents their strategy to the other team.
27
Observation Sheet ONE
Q Were there any leaders?
1.
2.
3.
Q Who were less active or least involved?
1.
2.
Q How did the team respond to challenges?
Q What barriers were there to effective teamwork?
General Observations
3.
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Leadership
L9
An introduction to leadership.
‘Leadership is like gravity. You know it's there, you know it exists, but how do you define
it?’
Definitions of leadership:
‘The behavioural process of influencing individuals and groups towards set goals’
Barrow (1977).
‘The process of persuading, inspiring, motivating and influencing others.’
‘Leadership effectiveness is a function of subordinate characteristics, organizational
situation, and the situation.’
‘The ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute
toward the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members’
(House, 2004)
‘Leadership is defined in so many different ways that it is hard to come up with a single
working definition. Leadership is not just a person or group of people in a high position;
understanding leadership is not complete without understanding interactions between a
leader and his or her followers. Neither is leadership merely the ability or static capacity
of a leader. We need to look into the dynamic nature of the relationship between leader
and followers. In these unique social dynamics, all the parties involved attempt to
influence each other in the pursuit of goals. These goals may or may not coincide,
participants actively engage in defining and redefining the goal for the group and for
themselves.’
Write your own definition of leadership.
How to become a leader?
There are TWO ways to becoming a leader.
An appointed leader is chosen by an individual(s) from outside of the group. For
example, the coach or manager of a team appointed by the director of the club.
An emergent leader is chosen from within an existing group and take charge. Often the
elected leader may be the one who has the most skill or ability within the group.
For example, a player in a team who becomes the team captain.
29
Styles of Leadership
There are strong links here with Coaching Principles.
Ever since I started coaching I've tried to become an invisible leader. University of
Indiana coach Bobby Knight’s once said that he could never work in the NBA because
the coaches don’t have any control over the players. My question is how much control
do you need? The players are used to having an all or authority figure telling them what
to do and the only reason they’ve made it so as far as they have is, that at some point
they listened to what some coach, somewhere had to say. The way to tap into that
energy is not by being autocratic but by working with the players and giving them
increasing responsibility to shape their roles’ in the team.’ Phil Jackson
There are several types of leadership style identified, THREE of which are authoritarian,
democratic and laissez faire.
Authoritarian: This type of leader will be focussed on achieving the task and interested
only in goal outcomes. This style is formal, directive and intrusive. This leader will not
discuss tactics with the players but tell them which way to play.
Example:
Democratic: This type of leader is person orientated. He or she will consult with players
and will be interested in maintaining good relationships with the players or team mates.
By definition this leader will be open and prepared to listen to others.
Example:
Laissez-faire: This French phrase means “leave it be” and is used to describe a leader
who leaves his or her colleagues to get on with their work. This type of leader will make
very few decisions and gives very little feedback. The players or team members mostly
do as they choose.
Example:
Varsity Blues may help you here. There are close links here with Principles of Coaching.
Factors Influencing the Choice of Leadership Style?
30
Type of activity - The authoritarian would best suit a team game situation or an activity,
which may be perceived as dangerous. Conversely the democratic approach is better
for individual activities.
Setting?
Level of skill – An authoritarian style would be favoured for a task which had a clear
structure where the group had a high level of skill. Whereas an unstructured task in a
group with a low skill level, would require a democratic approach.
Setting?
Personality of the performer - An authoritarian style would best serve a group, which
is difficult to control whilst a democratic approach would be best employed when
relationships are good between the leader and the group.
Setting?
Size of the group – An authoritarian manner is best in large group situations whilst a
small group would benefit from a democratic style.
The most successful leaders are able to adapt their style to match the situation.
Setting?
‘The more the leaders actual behaviours match the preferences of the group members
and the requirements of the situation, the better the group’s performance and the
greater will be the satisfaction of those who are being directed’ Gill, 1986.
Leader Dynamics and Leader Styles
10
Leader dynamics and leader styles
Can you find the 18 words related to the area of Team Cohesion? Good Luck.
Leadership Behaviours
Successful leader performance is based on the study of leader behaviours. The premise of this approach is that leaders engage in
specific behaviours that contribute to their success. Thus leaders are better defined by what they do as apposed to who they are.
Directive or Permissive
A directive or possessive style
coach takes full charge of her or
his team and its business, and
closely monitors athlete behaviour
and performance.
A permissive or ‘laissez-faire’ style
coach delegates responsibility to
her or his athletes and thus has
more time to personally handle
issues that he/she deems most
critical.
Autocratic / Democratic
An autocratic or command style coach maintains
single-handed control over decisions and action
regarding team business. As pointed out by Wann
(1997), a directive autocratic style is effective with
young, inexperienced athletes who have a lot to learn
and little to offer.
A democratic or interactional style coach involves
assistant coaches, team captains and other player
representatives in team business related decisions. To
maintain credibility, interactional coaches must lead by
persuasion, i.e., explain their choice for action rather
than force it on their assistants and athletes.
Task or Person Oriented
A task- or production- oriented coach, according to
Wann (1997), are mostly interested in the task at
hand. Precise descriptions of team members' roles
and responsibilities are of primary concern to the
production-oriented coach. Assistant coaches and
athletes alike are expected to be familiar with practice
and match protocols.
Person-oriented coaches, on the other hand,
emphasize interpersonal ties on the team. Teams
headed by a player-coaches, as Wann (1997)
suggested, and less competitive teams that display
strong social relationships are most likely to have and
benefit from this leadership style.
Q Can you suggest examples for each?
Think back to your assessment of Sir Clive Woodward. Q How would you describe him as a leader?
Leader Dynamics and Leader Styles
Select from the leadership styles below, which is most appropriate and explain why?
Consider the leader behaviours on the previous page.
Authoritarian
Democratic
Laissez Faire
Situation
Type of
Leadership
Explanation
You are introducing
yourself as the new
coach to a hostile group
of players.
Authoritarian
The coach needs to establish the rules and what
is expected of the players early on.
You are coaching a
footballer, whom you
know to be highly skilled
and well known.
You want to gather the
players for a team
meeting.
You are coaching
football to a group of
enthusiastic 9 year olds.
A novice footballer asks
you for tips on penalties
just before a big match.
A friendly, successful
team ask you to be their
new coach. How would
you approach this?
You are teaching
dribbling to a mixed
ability group of fifteen
year olds.
You are coaching a
team when someone
suddenly faints.
You are teaching
shooting to an entire
team and, only have one
goal available.
You have been asked to
deliver a ‘one-off’
coaching session to a
successful and hard
working team.
A player knows he has
made a serious mistake,
apologises, but coach
must still action.