As Iron Sharpens Iron? Athletes’ Perspectives of Positional Competition

Bridging the Gap Podcast

Study: As Iron Sharpens Iron? Athletes’ Perspectives of Positional Competition

Abstract: The study explored the competition between teammates for playing time (i.e., positional competition) within university team sports from the athletes’ perspective. Sixteen Canadian interuniversity team sport athletes (11 women, 5 men) participated in semistructured interviews. Results revealed that positional competition (a) occurs between players in the same position, (b) is necessary to determine playing time, (c) is an ongoing, omni-present process, and (d) happens under the awareness of the coach. Furthermore, various inputs (by the individual athlete, team, coach), processes (performance-related, information-related), and outcomes (individual, collective) became apparent. Positional competition is a group process that occurs across multiple competitive situations (e.g., practices, games). Future research is needed to clearly define and operationalize it as its own construct.

Author: Sebastian Harenberg

Originally from Germany, he attended both his undergrad and master’s program in Physical Education to become a high school teacher at Göttingen University. He then ventured over to Canada to obtain his PHD from University of Regina in Kinesiology and Health Studies. He completed his PhD in 2014 and has since been working a research scientist for a local health region. On the applied side, Sebastian has played soccer his entire life and other sports such as hockey. Additionally, he has coaching experience at the University of Regina where he coaches women soccer He is currently in transition as he recently accepted a job at Ithaca College in upstate New York.

Links:

Author: [e-mail]

Article: http://journals.humankinetics.com/tsp-current-issue/tsp-volume-30-issue-1-march/as-iron-sharpens-iron-athletes-perspectives-of-positional-competition

Quotes from the episode:

“How do coaches keep their bench players, and the players that are sitting in the stands motivated to perform. To me this has become a guiding question that really stuck with me.”

“The players described the competition for playing time not as something that is in a particular situation, so not as something that starts and ends.”

“A lot depends on the coaches, and how the coach structures positional competition. Athletes want to have information on where they stand and how they can improve.”

“When you have a constant information flow, and a constant mechanism of how you can transfer this information to your athletes (feedback on where they stand in a positional battle and why) that is when you see some really effective results."