Ken Hodge1, Graham Henry2, &

Wayne Smith2

1School of Physical Education, Sport,

& Exercise Sciences

University of Otago

2NZ Rugby Union

Motivational Climate in Elite Sport:

A Case Study of the All Blacks

All Blacks… history, legacy…

• 75% win percentage from 1903-2014

• 85% win percentage from 2004-2011 (tenure of the coaches

interviewed in this study)

• 90% win percentage from 2012-2014… including a

remarkable perfect season in 2013 (14/14)

Video

“[I was reading about the ancient] Spartans. They were

hugely courageous warriors and they were always

looking for what the opposite of fear was so that they

could develop that in their warriors. They found it wasn’t

courage, and it wasn’t bravery, it was . That’s about

connections. So we selected the right people and worked

really hard on developing… [better people] who had

strong connections, who played for themselves, but also

played for each other, and people they loved. And they

loved each other clearly, within the All Blacks. I think…

[that was] a real source of performance”

(W. Smith)

love

Overview

• Background -- Motivational Climate

• Purpose & Research Question

• Method & Data Analysis

• Results/Findings – eight (8) themes

• Discussion -- Autonomy-Supportive Coaching,

Emotionally Intelligent Coaching, Transformational Leadership

• Practical Recommendations

Hodge, K., Henry, G., & Smith, W. (2014). A case study of excellence in elite sport:

Motivational climate in a world champion team. The Sport Psychologist, 28, 60-74.

Case Study: All Blacks Team, 2004-2011

“Better People Make Better All Blacks” (Donaldson, 2005; Long, 2005)

During their coaching

tenure (2004-2011) the

ABs won 85% of their

test matches…

-- as well as the World Cup!

Background -- Motivational Climate

• Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2002)

• Basic Psych Needs = autonomy, competence, relatedness

• Autonomy-Supportive Coaching motivational climate

All Blacks – new coaches in 2004…

“Better People Make Better All Blacks” (Donaldson, 2005; Long, 2005)

related to Sport & LifeSkills Development? (Hodge, Danish & Martin, 2012)

related to ‘basic needs’? (Hodge, Lonsdale & Ng, 2008)

related to autonomy-support motn climate? (Hodge & Lonsdale, 2011)

“Better People Make Better All Blacks”

“… the players have a lot of input into what we’re doing [autonomy]… and we have empowered the players to voice their opinions so we can improve [competence]…”

“Players are happy when they are stimulated [competence]… When we talk about them as ‘better people’ we’re talking about people who are self-reliant and have self-leadership [autonomy], take responsibility for the team, and have collective ownership [relatedness].”

(G. Henry; in Long, 2005)

-- satisfy basic needs: autonomy, competence, relatedness?

Coaching? … technical, tactical,…

Motivational Climate

• Motn Climate = contextual environment or climate the coach

creates via her/his interpersonal style:

especially influential with respect to athlete motivation &

subsequent behaviour (Gagné et al., 2003)

Coaches’ interpersonal style pertains to the values

emphasized by the coach & coaching behaviours designed

to influence their athletes’ motivation & behaviour

(Mageau & Vallerand, 2003)

Research in elite sport -- Motn Climate

incr. performance, satisfaction (Heuzé, et al., 2006; Høigaard, et al., 2008; Pensgaard & Roberts, 2002)

Purpose & Research Question

• Examine the motivational climate created by the All Blacks

coaching group from 2004-2011:

contributed to the All Blacks’ 85% winning percentage

from 2004-2011

culminated in winning the Rugby World Cup in 2011

• How was this motivational climate created and then

modified over time?

Method & Data Analysis

• Case Study – significant samples (Simonton, 1999)

• Narrative methodology (Lieblich et al., 1998; Reissman, 2008)

• Interpretive paradigm (Carless & Douglas, 2012; Smith & Sparkes, 2012)

• Multiple data sources (Holt & Sparkes, 2001; B. Smith, 2010)

In-depth interviews – Henry & Smith (March, 2012) o Textual elicitation

Books by coaches (Henry), players (McCaw; Oliver) &

journalists (Paul, 2009)

Media stories from newspapers, magazines, websites (e.g., Long, 2005; Mortimer, 2011)

Videos from news websites, rugby websites, & the ‘Weight

of a Nation’ doco on NZ television (SkyTV, 2012)

Data Analysis Procedures

Data Analysis:

Researcher as instrument

‘in-dwelling’ perspective

thematic content analysis

collaboration with coaches

Credibility & Goodness Criteria:

member checking

multiple data sources

collaboration with coaches

audit trail; pilot interview

critical friends

Motn Climate Findings: 8 Themes

• Critical Turning Point

Flexible & Evolving

‘Better People Make Better All Blacks’

Dual-Management Model

Responsibility

Leadership

Expectation of Excellence

Team Cohesion: Coaches & Players

(Hodge, Henry, & Smith, 2014)

Findings: 5 Key Themes

• ‘Better People Make Better All Blacks’

• Dual-Management Model

• Responsibility

• Expectation of Excellence

• Team Cohesion: Coaches & Players

(Hodge, Henry, & Smith, 2014)

Key Findings

‘Better People Make Better All Blacks’

Dual-Management Model

(Hodge, Henry, & Smith, 2014)

“We believed that a person who had their act together

off the field would play better on the field” (G. Henry)

“It was the philosophy to give the players ownership,…

and to dual-manage the All Blacks with a group of

players, and a group of oldies [coaches]” (G. Henry)

Key Findings (cont)

Responsibility: empowerment, ownership &

accountability

(Hodge, Henry, & Smith, 2014)

“[Tana was] dead right, it was their time. They needed

to focus on what they needed to do. They didn’t need

some other bugger yelling in their ear… I had been

team-talking for 30 years, and I thought it was bloody

important, and he thought it was a bloody waste of

time… He was dead right, and thank God he told me. I

could still be doing it!” (G. Henry)

Key Findings…

Expectation of Excellence: challenge, ‘Best in

the World’, legacy/jersey

“We worked on their strengths, rather than just their

weaknesses. We wanted them to understand that they were

there because of what they were good at” (W. Smith)

“That was a big driver -- taking our eyes away from the

scoreboard and actually looking at being accountable for

continuing to be the best, no matter what the situation was.

That was massive. If you want to be the best in the world,

you have to get better at what you are already good at.”

(W. Smith)

Key Findings…

Expectation of Excellence: challenge, ‘Best in

the World’, legacy/jersey

“We worked on their strengths, rather than just their

weaknesses. We wanted them to understand that they were

there because of what they were good at” (W. Smith)

“That was a big driver -- taking our eyes away from the

scoreboard and actually looking at being accountable for

continuing to be the best, no matter what the situation was.

That was massive. If you want to be the best in the world,

you have to get better at what you are already good at.”

(W. Smith)

• Team Cohesion -- Coaches & Players: horizontal

leadership; clarity & alignment; ‘keep it fresh’; enjoyment; ‘love’ (Spartans)

“So we selected the right people and worked really hard on

developing… [better people] who had strong connections,

who played for themselves, but also played for each other,

and people they loved. And they loved each other clearly,

within the All Blacks. I think… [that was] a real source of

performance.” (W. Smith)

Discussion

• Autonomy-Supportive Coaching (Gagné et al., 2003)

choice, initiative, empowerment

• Emotionally Intelligent Coaching (Chan & Mallett, 2012)

interpersonal & intrapersonal competencies

• Transformational Leadership (Hardy et al., 2010)

personal, emotional & inspirational exchanges

develop athlete to full potential

Practical Recommendations

Recommendations for consideration by team sport coaches:

1. involve athletes in meaningful leadership roles via a version of the

dual-management model

2. adopt a mindset for transformational leadership via a focus on the

six characteristics of transformational leadership (see Arthur et al.,

2012; Hardy et al., 2010; Smith et al., 2013, for practical examples)

3. learn how to be an emotionally intelligent coach by developing

intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies of perceiving

emotions in self and others (see Chan & Mallett, 2011, for practical examples)

4. implement autonomy-supportive coaching strategies (see Lyons et al.,

2012; Mageau & Vallerand, 2003; Mallett, 2005, for practical examples)

Motn Climate ‘Model’:

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

R = responsibility

E = empowerment

S = self-reliance, self-direction

P = people, pride, purpose

E = engagement, (self-)esteem

C = competence, capability (strengths)

T = trust, ‘tough love’

‘Respect’ Players as People 1st

(Māori proverb)

He aha te mea nui o te ao?

He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!

What is the most important thing in the world?

It is people! It is people! It is people!

“Better People Make Better All Blacks”

Win-Win =

• win games

• develop people

Questions???

References: Practical Recommendations

Arthur, C. et al. (2012). Realising the Olympic dream: Vision, support and

challenge. Reflective Practice, 13, 399-406.

Chan, J. T., & Mallett, C, J. (2011). The value of emotional intelligence for high

performance coaching. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 6,

315-328.

Hardy, L. et al. (2010). The relationship between transformational leadership

behaviors, psychological, and training outcomes in elite military recruits. The

Leadership Quarterly, 21, 20-32.

Lyons, M. et al. (2012). Reflection and the art of coaching: Fostering high-

performance in Olympic Ski Cross. Reflective Practice, 13, 359-372.

Mallett, C. (2005). Self-determination theory: A case study of evidence-based

coaching. The Sport Psychologist, 19, 417-429.

Smith, M. et al. (2013). Transformational leadership and task cohesion in sport:

The mediating role of intrateam communication. Psychology of Sport & Exercise,

14, 249-257.

Meeting the needs of the Sports

Coach as a Performer

The purpose:

• To investigate what experienced sports coaches believe to be essential for coaching

effectiveness at elite sport competitions & the use of sport psychology techniques and

services to assist in their coaching performance.

Rationale:

• Coaches are performers in their own right; as coaches are performers, administrators,

leaders, planners, motivators, & listeners.

• Limited knowledge of sport psychology support services for coaches (Sharp & Hodge, 2013).

Value of this research:

• Aid the development of guidelines for the improvement of individualised sport psychology

support services that meet the individual needs & motivations of coaches.

• If you are interested in participating contact Dr Lee-Ann Sharp: L.sharp@ulster.ac.uk