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How do female athletes perceive conflict in sport? Sport psychologist and professor, Dr. Nick Holt of the University of Alberta explains how to avoid conflict on teams from escalating, getting out of control and how to build a team that's strong when conflicts do occur.
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Female Athletes’ Perceptions of Conflict in Sport
Nick HoltAssociate Professor
Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation
**Camilla Knight & Peter Zukiwski**
Objectives
• Present study of conflict in team sport
• Focus on practical applications
Rationale and Purpose
‘My” Questions• Do we really know about conflicts that
happen? • What types of conflicts take place? • How can conflicts be resolved?
Purpose • To examine how female varsity athletes
deal with teammate conflicts.
Method
Participants– 19 female varsity
athletes (M age = 21.17 years)
Individual Interviews– Trained researchers– Anonymity and
confidentiality
Analysis– Interviews transcribed– Coded to identify:
(a) Types of conflict(b) Conflict management strategies
Conflicts Happen!
• “I guess it just sucks but it's [conflict] always gonna happen”
• “You’re never gonna be able to prevent having any conflict”
• “I don’t think you’ll ever have a season without conflict”
• “During girls’ sports it’s like there’s always gonna be conflicts because people’s emotions get involved”
• “Girls are way worse than boys…. Girls specifically do crave it [conflict]. There are girls on my team that will go looking for trouble sometimes.”
Types of Conflicts
• Performance • Relationships
Relationship conflicts are very hard to resolve.Performance conflicts are just you as an athlete, it’s not you as a person. Um, when you’re dealing with people as a person… their flaws are being exposed and people don’t like their flaws being exposed. It’s very uncomfortable and it’s very hard to do it in a way that’s, that you’re not criticizing them as a person.
Conflict Management I
• Team Building Early in Season–Not prevention
–Create ‘context’
–Address conflicts early
Conflict Management II
• Mediation–Hierarchy with team
–Rarely go to coaches with relationships conflict
–Role of sport psychologist
Conflict Management III
• Structured Team Meetings–Unstructured = BAD
–Process (and mediator) in place• Rap sessions•Written statements• 24/48 ‘rule’
–Maybe not coach-led?
So What?
1. Assume conflicts are happening, even if you don’t know about them!
2. Put measures in place to help manage relationship conflicts (team building, mediators, structured meetings)
3. Teach athletes conflict management skills (Handout).
