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In this study, we investigated whether athletes’ perceptions of coaches’ leadership differ according to their perceptions of individual and team goal achievement and their sport performance. We collected data at the beginning and end of the sport season from 180 soccer players (aged 16–18 years). We evaluated three leadership areas (transformational, transactional, and decision-making) and the participants’ perceptions of individual and team performance during the sport season. Our results showed that (a) athletes with perceptions of higher individual goal achievement evaluated their coaches more positively, (b) athletes with perceptions of higher team goal achievement started the sport season with a less positive evaluation of their coaches but ended the season with a more positive coach evaluation, and (c) athletes with higher sport performance evaluated their coaches less positively in two domains of transformational leadership but ended the season by attributing less negative feedback and passive management to their coaches. In conclusion, these athletes’ evaluations of coaches’ leadership behaviors differed according to their perceptions of goal achievement and their own sport performance.

IntroduçãoO treinador representa uma das figuras com maior influência nas experiências desportivas dos atletas, seja ao nível do impacto que exerce na forma como estes vivenciam a sua atividade, seja ao nível dos resultados que obtêm (HORN, 2008). Neste último caso, uma das formas mais habituais de avaliarmos a eficácia e a capacidade dos treinadores (particularmente os de alta competição) é através do seu sucesso desportivo, nomeadamente em termos dos resultados desportivos alcançados, da classificação obtida numa prova ou num campeonato, dos lugares de pódio, entre outros.Apesar da relevância desses indicadores no contexto desportivo, alguns autores afirmam que podem comprometer a apreciação do trabalho dos treinadores. Como afirmam Mallett e Côté (2006), o pressuposto de que o treinador é a figura responsável pelo sucesso e insucesso das equipas e dos atletas é no mínimo questionável, existindo evidência prática suficiente que demonstra o oposto. Neste caso, e tomando como exemplo a alta competição, existem casos de treinadores que apesar de não terem alcançado os objetivos desportivos previstos mantiveram um estatuto notável junto dos atletas, assim como existem outros treinadores que Motriz, Rio Claro, v.19 n.2, p.502-512, abr./jun. 2013 Artigo Original Resumo: Este estudo realizou-se com 177 atletas de futsal portugueses. Procurou-se verificar se atletas com um passado desportivo de sucesso com os treinadores (n=62, 35%) se diferenciavam dos atletas sem esse passado desportivo (n=115, 65%), na avaliação da liderança, satisfação e compatibilidade com treinadores. O protocolo de avaliação incluiu medidas de estilos de liderança, satisfação com liderança e compatibilidade treinador-atleta. Os resultados comparativos demonstraram que os atletas com passado desportivo de sucesso avaliaram mais positivamente os treinadores em seis dimensões de liderança, assumiram maior satisfação com o tratamento pessoal e demonstraram maior compatibilidade com os seus treinadores. As análises de regressão demonstram a importância das variáveis de liderança na predição da satisfação com a liderança e da compatibilidade treinador-atleta, com particular importância para a instrução técnica e para o respeito pessoal. Resumindo, comprovou-se a importância dos resultados desportivos na forma como os atletas percebem os respectivos treinadores. Palavras-chave: Liderança. Satisfação Pessoal. Rendimento Atlético. Liderança no futsal de alta competição: importância dos resultados desportivos Leadership in the first division of futsal: the sport results relevanceAbstract: This study was done with 177 Portuguese athletes of futsal. It was analysed if athletes with a sport success background with their coaches (n = 62, 35%) differed in the evaluation of leadership styles and in the experience of satisfaction and compatibility, from those without that sport success background (n = 115, 65%). The evaluation protocol included measures of leadership styles, satisfaction with leadership, and coach-athlete compatibility. Comparative analysis ...

Coaching philosophy is an important topic in both coaching literature and education. However, there is little research regarding the way that coaches’ philosophies translate into their practices. Additionally, there is very little information about the specific effectiveness criteria coaches use to evaluate their philosophies and practice. This study addresses the complex set of relationships among coaches’ philosophies, perceptions of their practice, and effectiveness criteria. Ten elite coaches were selected for the study (nine males; one female), all of whom had successful careers in their respective sports. The coaches responded to an interview guide that addressed the topics of philosophy, practice, and effectiveness criteria. Deductive and inductive data analysis procedures were used to organize the collected information. The results indicated four main themes: (a) the importance of athlete motivation, (b) the importance of building a relationship with athletes based on personal respect, (c) the presence of high levels of cohesion among the team, and (d) the need for formal and informal rules that regulate the team’s functioning. There were several areas in which coaches did not establish a relationship linking philosophy, practice, and effectiveness criteria. The results suggest the need to educate coaches regarding methods of establishing a relationship among their philosophies, their practices, and the effectiveness criteria they use to evaluate their performance as coaches.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of coaching and coaching education in Portugal. In Portugal, sport coaching is traditionally considered a part-time vocation. There has been a growing concern of the Portuguese authorities to increase the standards of quality for sport coaching. Following the 1974 revolution there were profound alterations in how coaching and coach education are regulated. The legislative changes in coach education occurred mainly due to the harmonisation of the qualifications in the European Union. More recently, the responsibility for coach certification has moved from the different sports federations to a national sports organization that has created four grades of coach education. Coach education in all grades requires a general and a specific curricular component as well as an internship supervised by an accredited mentor. The academic formation is now well regulated. However, some sport federations are resistant to this academic certification process because they fear losing their exclusive control of their coach certification.

This study aimed at finding an articulation of educational perspectives from Portuguese physical education cooperating teachers at distinctive professional stages, according to teaching and mentoring experience. Two main topics superintend the query, which was intended to answer the objectives of teacher's education programs and teachers' role. Data for this study were collected from open-ended interviews from 30 participants (10 with short teaching experience; 10 with short mentoring experience; and 10 with long mentoring experience). The qualitative analysis consisted of coding the text attached to the two main topics. The coding process included the active search of themes and patterns emergent from cooperating teachers' transcripts. Results reported by cooperating teaching group made apparent the influence of professional experience but also a general agreement about the teacher profile. The guidelines for teacher training programs in Portugal, such as the case of Physical Education, show event interrelationship's perceptions in a real context, oriented by values inherent to the acquisition and transformation of new knowledge and development of educational skills. Conclusions supported that the teacher's role is increasingly demanding, and thus his formation claims a pattern of increasing quality.

Background Drowning is the third leading cause of death worldwide (WHO, 2010). According to Brenner et al (2009) participating in swimming lessons (SL) can reduce by 88% the risk of drowning in children 1–4 years old, despite some controversy regarding the most appropriate swimming programs (Ward, 2009). On the other hand no studies tested the skills acquired in SL in drowning prevention. So we proposed a test to evaluate the survivability of a child that accidentally falls into the water. Methods Twenty two children (4.68±0.82yrs) who practice SL (2.01±0.91yrs/practice) were subjected to two tests: aquatic readiness (AR) (Stallman et al, 2008); and survival test (ST), which consisted of an inflatable boat ride (unknown pool; presence of the usual swim teacher; wearing t-shirt) which 'accidentally' turns. Recorded images were later observed by 6 field experts whose observations obtained an overall index of concordance (IC) of 89%. Results In ST 15 children had positive responses (n=10, 100% IC; n=1, 66% IC; n=1, 83% IC; n=3, 50% IC) and 7 (n=6, 100% IC; n=1, 66% IC) would be in danger. Conclusions Through this test, we found that not all children whose result was positive in AR had a positive performance in the ST. This brings us to observe according to Langendörfer (2011) that the positive or negative response of the subject depends on the interaction of various constraints such as individual characteristics, the environment conditions, and the state in which the swimmer is. The application of ST suggests that the inclusion of safety and prevention activities in swimming lessons, aiming to develop attitudes and motor skills as a defense to drowning, must be taken into account. More studies are necessary to provide valid information to assist pediatricians in advising parents regarding what type of SL are more appropriate to reduce drowning.