Abstract

SILVA, AS; BARREIROS, A  and  FONSECA, AM. Exploring the importance of coaches in the development of the sports career in Handball. The perception of athletes from higher and lower levels of success. CPD [online]. 2019, vol.19, n.1, pp.106-120.  Epub Aug 17, 2020. ISSN 1989-5879.

Our study investigated the perception of elite handball players, belonging to national teams who during the early stages of their career had similar success rates but with different levels of success at the senior level, on how they characterize their most important club and national team coach. Fourteen athletes were interviewed based on the protocol of Gould, Dieffenbach and Moffett (2002). In the specialization years (Bloom, 1985), the most successful athletes reported that they had one coach in the club, and a national team coach, that permanently marked their sports career and their personality. According to them, their reference coaches taught directly and indirectly (caring, paying individual attention), emphasized expectations, discipline and the attitude that hard work pays off. It is concluded that the coach seems to play a determining role in the development of the athletes, thus highlighting the importance of promoting and strengthening the quality of their education.

Keywords : Talent development; coach; handball; youth; elite athletes.

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