Communication problems in professional sports: the case of Greece

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this research was to explore the communication barriers among coaches and players in professional sports, define the basic communication principles, and suggest methods of improving the communication process.Design/methodology/approachThe sample included 24 professional coaches from four different professional team sports in Greece. All subjects were male. The research instrument was developed from a relevant review of literature that focused on main problems in communication inside small groups. There was one set – lists of five variables regarding the problems in communication (limited time, language, etc.). Coaches were asked to indicate the main communication problem.FindingsThe results of this research showed that the most important communication problems between coaches and players in professional sports are: the external factors, the limited time, the language, the ability of perception and the negative attitude. From the above‐mentioned communicational problems, the coaches considered the external factors (41.67 per cent) as the most important, especially when their teams are playing away. The factor of negative attitude was considered as a main problem only by one coach (4.16 per cent).Practical implicationsCommunication is one of the most important functions of management. Coaches of amateur and professional teams should know how to communicate successfully with players in order to maximize individual and team performance. That is why it is important for the coaches to know how to overcome the problems that occur during the communication process with the players.Originality/valueEven most of the coaches are realizing the importance of effective communication; this research points out the main communication problems between coaches and players and suggests methods of improving the communication process.