Design and development selection criteria of Iran's Football National Team Head Coach

Transcription

1 International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences 2012 Available online at ISSN X / Vol, 3 (S): Science Explorer Publications Design and development selection criteria of Iran's Football National Team Head Coach Ahmad Kazemipour 1, Abdolrahman Mehdipour 2, Tahereh Azmsha 3 1. Master Student of Sport Management. Physical Education and Sport Science Faculty, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Iran. 2. Assistant Professor of Sport Management. Physical Education and Sport Science Faculty, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Iran. 3.Academic Member of Sport Management. Physical Education and Sport Science Faculty, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Iran. Corresponding author mehdipour.rah@gmail.com ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to define and develop the criteria for selection of the head coach of Iran s national football team and to determine the degree of importance of such criteria. The participants of this study include 368 coaches from across Iran with different coaching classes who are active in different levels of national teams, premier league, division 1 and other leagues. The research method of this study is of descriptive-survey type and the research tool is researcher-made questionnaire which its construct validity is examined through explorative-confirmative factor analysis using SPSS and AMOS software and its content validity is examined through the opinion of some experts who have a strong background in coaching at different levels. Its reliability however, is examined using Cronbach s alpha coefficient at 0.86 levels. In the process of data analysis, Kolmogrov-Smirnov test is used for evaluating the normal distribution of data. Freedman test is also used to prioritize the indices of selecting the head coach of Iran s national football team. Significant level of research hypotheses considered (= 0.01). The results of this study indicated that in general the selection criteria of the head coach of Iran s football team from the perspective of coaches include: 1) technical skills, 2) personality characteristics, 3) communication and social skills, 4) managerial skills, 5) personal characteristics, 6) coaching vision, 7) background as a coach, 8) psychological skills, and 9) background as a football player. Keywords: Iran s football, football coaches, coaching criteria, national team. INTRODUCTION The FIFA Family numbers around 250 million members, and includes male and female football players of all ages, coaches, coaching staff, administrators, referees and assistant referees, as well as medical staff. For all of these people, our sport represents passion, pleasure and fascination. Football is part of their everyday lives, as well as being their favorite s leisure pursuit. While some of them have made football their profession, for others it is a vocation. Countless players are constantly seeking to improve their game, and therefore enlist the help of coaches to help them do so (FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter, 2008). We all at least have an ambiguous concept in our minds on the term coaching or we have our personal understandings of the tasks which should be contained within this profession. The expectations of people from the behaviors of an effective coach are also personal imaginations. It can be claimed that the role of a football team coach is more important and valuable than the other sports. People generally consider coaches or responsible managers guilty in the event of weak performance of a team and in contrast commend them in the event of winning or conferring upon awards. Despite the importance position of coach in football matches, the sophisticated process of team coaching is a phenomenon which has not clearly been understood yet even among the people who train coaches (Gould et al, 1990). In most resources coaching is considered an intensive job and a coach is described a person who should implement a set of communicative-managerial skills within a wide range of coaching roles (Sabok 1985, Pyke 1992). Most of the people however, believe that in modern football the role of a coach is beyond coordinating exercise sessions and a

2 prominent coach should have various skills in different fields like tactic, technique, psychology, body building and physical readiness as well as communication-social skills (FIFA 2008, Reilly 2000). Since the modern coaching process especially in important sports like football is a sophisticated process, only a systematic and objective evaluation of coaching can provide us with a clear knowledge about this process. Scientists should concentrate their attentions on a systematic effort aiming at recognizing the critical components of an effective coaching. For this reason, the Football International Federation Association, FIFA, as well as scientists advise and recommend coaches, who work in different levels, to equip themselves with special criteria and sciences. The FIFA (2012) believes that behind a team which gains good results and exhibits a high quality and beautiful football, there is a prominent leader as a coach who has complete proficiency in technical, tactical and psychological aspects of football. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC, 2003) has considered the effects of psychological aspects on the performance of coaches of football teams. The AFC believes that the results of future games are within the hands of those coaches who are familiar with behavioral and psychological sciences and in addition to physical skills and football techniques; they can put mental skills into practice. Through their study titled the duties of a coach as the head coach of a national team Dahlkvist and Svenson (2001) found that in coaching process, there are 4 aspects which are more important in achieving championship place. These aspects include type of leadership, appropriator leadership, coach relations and communications and coach personality. Redmond Football Club (2000) has presented criteria and measures for the selection of coaches and evaluation process of football teams within a form of scoring system in which scores range from 1 to 5. It consists of the following measures: background in coaching, ability of motivating the players, knowledge of coaching, ability of creating the atmosphere of sprightliness and happiness in exercises, making competitive atmosphere among the players and at the same time emphasizing on fair play, using effective leadership approaches and idealistic team directing, being a positive and ideal symbol for the players, ability of making appropriate relations with the players and supporting team and the sense of individual responsibility. Martens (2004), believes that three factors are important in making a successful coach. The factors include relationship skills, support principles and understanding of stimulant. He finalizes the required features for meeting coaching obligations within 11 items including awareness of sport knowledge, using the best coaching method, allocating priorities in the process of preparing objectives and plans, having motivation, ability of transferring thoughts, familiarity with relationship skills, familiarity with persuasion principles, using motivation skills, organizing and scheduling exercises, evaluating oneself as well as players activities and implemented programs, familiarity with skill training principles and players learning quality. Kohandel (2000) has stated the measures of selecting national team coaches, for some group sports, as personal-cognitive characteristics, social characteristics, emotive-human skills, science-expertise characteristics, managerial skills, sportive features, individual characteristics and background in sports filed. Shafiee (2007) described in his study the criteria for selection of swimming team coaches and defined the following criteria as the main criteria for selecting swimming coaches: 1) human-emotive skills, personality characteristics, technical skills, social features, managerial skills, background of coach, individual characteristics and sportive skills. Nasiri (2009) carried out a research aiming at analyzing and modeling the evaluation of handball coaches in which the coaching features were designed based on the obtained results. The obtained was as follows: coaching features, training features, ethical features, managerial features, social relationship, human relationship, individual characteristics, and background in sports field as well as scheduling. Designing criteria for the process of selecting sports coaches was the common point of the studies of Mac Lean and Zakrajesk (1996), Couch (2000), Cunningham (2003), Mallet (Mallet, 2006) and Coaches Association of British Colombia (CABC, 2007) through separate studies. Undoubtedly, it is a crucial and difficult duty to select the best person, who should be approved from different points of view and should be a pleasing and attractive person, as the head coach of a national team. Therefore, it is expected that the criteria and measures for selection of the best person as the head coach of the Iranian national football team, who is verified by prominent national coaches and experts and eventually all community of football, should be designed and prepared using the results of the current study. Research Methodology The research method is of descriptive-survey type. Data gathering tool is the researcher-made questionnaire. Its validity is confirmed by explorative-confirmative factor analysis using SPSS and AMOS software. Also, its content validity is evaluated by the opinion of some experts who have strong background in coaching field. Its reliability however is evaluated using cronbach s alpha coefficient adjusted at the level of Eventually, the final questionnaire which contains the features and criteria for selection of the head coach of national football team is

3 designed by considering 9 aspects including individual characteristics, personal characteristics, technical skills, managerial skills, background in sports field, background in coaching, psychological skills, communication and social skills, and coach vision. The significance level of each criterion is determined using Likert measurement scale. Statistical Methods Descriptive statistics is used to describe the frequencies as well as the frequency percentage of statistical population. In the process of data analysis, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for testing normal distribution of data. Also, the validity of questionnaires was evaluated using explorative-confirmative factor analysis (by emphasizing KMO test (0.73), Bart let test (7.29), CarMax rotation, Eigen values and RAMSE.). Freedman test was used to determine the priorities of the criteria of selecting the head coach of national team. Significant level of research hypotheses considered (= 0.01). RESULT Coaching License AFC A license AFC B license AFC C license AFC Basic license Total Table 1. Distribution of coaching per grade of coaching Frequency Percent % % % % % The research findings showed that coaches have mean age of years. Age group of years enjoyed the highest frequency (35.94%) and above 60 years the lowest frequency (2.61%). In the aspect of educational level, 3.26% of subjects had Ph.D. degree, 36.14% B.A. degree (highest frequency) and 26.60% of subjects had diploma degree.(see fig.1) 6.7% of coaches had national coaching experiences in age groups of national teams(grassroots and adult) and highest frequency of coaching experience were belong 19.% of participating who had experience in first division league (see fig.2). Figure 1. Educational level of subjects

4 Figure 2. Experience level of coaching At each of the selection criteria is the reliability (see table2). According to the table 3 and Significant amounts, see the difference between factors there. As seen in the table 3 can also Cranach's alpha coefficients indicated the Technical skill factor, average 8.99 most important factor in choosing coach and experience as player with an average of 1.00 has little role in the selection process To prioritize coaching selection criteria by all coaches viewpoints (Table 3): The sub-criteria are Ranked as follows: Technical Skills 1. Awareness of the nation, continental and world football (9.72), 2. Dominance to the concepts of football (techniques, tactics, psychology) (9.56), 3. Identify talented players (9.52), 4. Ability to train and develop players (9.2), 5. Skills on player s formation (8.7), 6. Ability to find tactical solutions (8.23), 7. Familiar with different styles of football (8.21), 8. The Use of Information Technology and Applications (8.1), 9. Mastering knowledge on new findings in football (7.83), 10. Ability as instructor for coaches (7.74), 11. Build a strong team (7.66), 12. Ability to coaching during match (7.09), 13.the ability to use teaching aids (6.91), 14. Design appropriate training (5.93). Personality Characteristics 1. Winner and succeed spirit (9.06), 2. Truthfulness in speech and behavior (8.51), 3. Good control and resistance to psychological pressure (7.19), 4. Strong and dominant personality on the team (7.03), 5. Observe personal and professional discipline (6.70), 6. Leadership temperament (6.69), 7. Warm personality and ability to earn respect and support others (6.67), 8. Have high confidence in the coaching profession (6.56), 9. Responsible and committed (6.52), 10. High-active and motivated (6.41), 11. Positive outlook (5.94), 12. Sprint of cooperation and group work (5.54). Communication and Social skills 1. Constructive communication with players (8.27), 2. Someone with a good name and popularity (8.11), 3. Avoid marginalization and controversy (7.98), 4. Respect to culture and social commitment (7.88), 5. Create Reasonable communication with press and media (7.11), 6. Presentation and speech Skills (6.31), 7. Verbal and nonverbal communication techniques (6.28), 8. create good Atmosphere in team (6.13), 9. Person with international relationships (5.27), 10. Good and constructive relationship with club coaches (4.8), 11. Someone with social and media acceptance (3.66). Managerial skills 1. Create a common vision on football community (7.37), 2. Right Selection and use of coaches group (7.28), 3. Documenting activities and coaching experience (7.09), 4. Use the charisma to influence athletes (5.89), 5. Player appraisal satisfaction system s players of the coach performance (5.82), 6. direct control and supervision over the training programs (5.73), 7. Determining Duties and responsibilities of the players and coaches (5.42), 8. Create individual and team discipline (5.38), 9. Set realistic and achievable goals (short term, medium term, long term) (5.07), 10. Evaluation of work (self, group of coaches and players) (2.12).

5 Personal Characteristics 1. At least minimal education level (B.A. and above) (5.99), 2. Good appearance (5.61). 3. High intelligence (5.48), 4. Dominance, at least one international language (4.96), 5. Someone with Iranian nationality (4.46), 6. an age range between 45 to 60 years (3.88), 7. Good mental and physical fitness (3.48), 8. Someone with foreign nationality (2.15). Coaching Vision 1. Believed to offensive play with get score (3.12), 2. Use the talents and believe in youth players (3.06), 3. use of technology in football (3.01), 4. Advanced and new vision in football (2.93), 5. Own personal philosophy of coaching (2.88). Coaching s Experience 1.Good backgrounds in coaching (3.69), 2. Championship Title and position in international competition as coach (3.29), 3. Introduction player(s) to the national team (2.92), 4. Coaching experience at the national team as assistant coach (2.79), 5. Achieve national success as coach (2.31). Psychological Experience 1. Using mental exercises to improve individual and team performance (3.76), 2. Ability to handle crisis (3.74), 3. Ability to the psychological relaxation (3.9), 4. Ability to handle crisis (3.74), 5. Mental focus on the players during the tournament (2.16). Player s Experience 1. International championship with national team (1.63), 2. Membership in national team (1.37) Table2. Mean values, Standard Deviations and Cronbach's alpha coefficient of criteria. Selection criteria Personal characteristics Personality characteristics Technical skills Managerial skills Experience s player Experience s coaching Psychological skills Social& communication skills Vision s coaching Mean Rank S.D. No. of item Cronbach's alpha

6 Table3. Prioritization criteria Iran National Football Coach by A, B, C and Basic AFC licensing Coaching license A license B license C license Basic license total Criteria selection Personal characteristics Personality characteristics Technical skills Managerial skills Experience s player Experience s coaching Psychological skills Social & communication skills Vision s coaching frequency Chi square Sig Result showed, there is a slightly different The results showed that the national team and league coaches put experience s coaching in 7 and Psychological skills in 8, but coaches Division 1 and 2 put experience s coaching in 8 and Psychological skills in 7. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Since 1941, more than 51 coaches have seat on the chair of the head coach of Iran s national football team. This implies that in Iran s football, the mean life of coaching is up to 16 months. Another fact is that 15 coaches with different nationalities and styles were in charge of this position (4 coaches from Croatia, 2 coaches from Brazil, 2 coaches from Hungary, 1 coach from the U.K., 1 coach from Germany, 1 coach from Ireland, 1 coach from Austria, 1 coach from Soviet Union and 1 coach from Yugoslavia) which indicates the lack of definitive and specified measures by which the best option should have been selected as the head coach of Iran s national football team. The results of this study indicate that coaches consider respectively the following items as the criteria for selection of the head coach of national football team including 1) technical skills, 2) personal characteristics, 3) communication and social skills, 4) managerial skills, 5) coach vision, 6) individual characteristics, 7) coaching background, 8) psychological skills, 9) background as a player. The selection criteria of this study are consistent with those considered by FIFA (2012) and AFC (2011) in their coaching books and notes for a perfect coach in today s modern football style. FIFA knows today s football coaches as multi-skilled coaches and believes that a coach should be equipped with technical, tactical, psychological, social, appropriate relationship with media, and managerial skills(fifa coaching, 2008) Ghahfarrokhi and Jalali Farahani (2010) investigated and analyzed the phenomenon of changing the coaches of Iran s premier league. The results indicated that more than 75 percent of clubs selection within a season were useless or were low effective which were not led to the improvement of team results or continuous positive changes within the teams. They emphasized this issue that the coaches had been selected via imprecise measures and carrying out no necessary expertise studies. The criteria for selection of coaches, which contain indices like personal characteristics, emotive-human skills, technical skills, social characteristics, managerial skills and background in sports and are consistent with the selection criteria of this study, have been designed in some sports fields by Kohandel (2000), in wrestling by Tabrizi (2002), in swimming, diving and water polo by Shafiee (2007), in Handball by Nasiri (2009) and in Taekwondo by Tajik (2010). Hamidi (Hamidi et al, 2011), in his study which was carried out with the purpose of preparing a model for performance evaluation of national coaches, found out that investigation scale of national coaches consists of five factors. In this model, three factors i.e.: technical skills, leadership skills and special skills were appeared as independent factors affecting the relationship skills of coaches which in turn affects the operational ability of coaches. Stephan Coach (2000), Marshall (2006) and Monazzami (2009) give the first to technical skills of a coach which are in line with the results of the current study. Research it has been effort to identify and design criteria selection of football national head coach team and identify the most important factors influencing the selection. Their importance was estimated and finally a suitable pattern was designed to select national coach.

7 ACKNOWLEDGMENT We would like to sincerely thank from Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz and all the Football team coaches and all members of Iran Football Coach Association (IFCA).we also would like special thanks to FIFA, AFC Instructors and Elite coach Mr. Majid Jalali, who leads us to complete this research. REFERENCES Asian Football Confederation A License Coaching Award. http// Barber H E, Jen Methods and criteria employed in the evaluation of intercollegiate coaches. Journal of sport Management 12, Coaches Association of British Columbia (CABC) http// Couch S Coach selection form. http// Cunningham G, Dixon M New Perspectives Concerning Performance Appraisals of Intercollegiate Coaches, Quest, 55(2), P: Dahalkvist A, Svensson M Role of coach as national coach. B.A. thesis, School of social and health sciences. Halmstad University, Swedish. Diving and Water Polo by Coaches' Viewpoints. PHD Thesis, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Tehran University. [Persian]. Doge B, Hasties P Coach effectiveness. Journal of Sport Science Review, 2(2): Ebrahimzade M Designed and developed selection criteria chess national team coach. MS Thesis, Tehran University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences.[Persian]. Ghahfarrokhi E, Jalali FM Analyzing Phenomena replacement coaches in premier league of Iran. Journal of Olympic, 3(51): [Persian] Gould D, Giannani J, Krane V, Hodge K Educational need of elite US national, Pan-American and Olympic coaches. Journal of teaching in physical education, 9 (4), Hamidi M, Memari ZH, Hamidi M Criteria Evaluation of National coach. Journal of Sport Management And Movement Sciences.[Persian]. International Football Federation (FIFA) Football Coaching. Translation Taghavi M, published by the Iranian National Olympic Committee. Kohandel M National coach selection criteria in team sports. Thesis of Doctorate. Azad University. Tehran.[Persian]. Mack lean J, Zakrajsck D Factors considered important for evaluating Canadian university Athletic Coaches. Journal of Sport Management. 10. PP: Human Kinetics Publishers. Mallett C Beyond Winning and Losing: Guidelines for Evaluating High Performance Coaches. The Sport Psychologist, 2006, 20, Martens R Successful coaching. Human Kinetics. Third edition, 12. PP: Monazami A Develop criteria for selecting national coaches volleyball. MS Thesis, Tehran University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences.[Persian]. Nasiri kh, Khabiri M, sajadi N, Kazemnezhad A Analysis and modeling assessment of the national handball teams. Journal of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Tehran University, No.1, summer [Persian]. Pyke F The expanding role of modern coach. The principle, 9, 3. Redmond Football Club Coach Evaluation forms. http// Reilly T, Williams AM, Nevill A, Franks A A multidisciplinary approach to talent identification in football. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18, Sabok RJ The Coach. Human kinetics books, Champaign, IL. Shafiei M Determining National Coaches Selection Criteria in Swimming, Tajik A Designed selection criteria of Iranian Taekwondo trainer. M.S. thesis, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science, Tehran University. [Persian] The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Grade A Coaching Book. Publication: IRAN Football Association, Coaches Education Committee.