Year of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Health and Human Performance (Exercise Science Option)

Department or School/College

Department of Health and Human Performance

Committee Chair

Charles Palmer

Commitee Members

Arthur Miller, Courtney Stewart

Keywords

Coach Education, Coaching, Coaching Education, Continuing Education, Intercollegiate, Perceptions, Preferences, Professional Development, Tennis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to better understand U.S. intercollegiate tennis coaches’ perceptions of professional development and the factors that influence their participation in such endeavors. Based on discussions in the literature, a survey was created to quantify this population’s attitudes toward various components of continuing education. The survey included several closed-ended questions as well as rating questions, on a 5-point Likert scale. 181 participants (Male= 136, Female= 45) responded to the survey, representing 93 intercollegiate tennis conferences in the United States. The major findings of this study were: (i) the majority of intercollegiate tennis coaches perceive continuing education to be important but vary in how frequently they participate in different outlets; (ii) increasing knowledge, relevance of the topics, and the convenience/location of the venue appear to be the most important considerations for pursuing professional development; (iii) on-court trainings, mentoring, and question-and-answer sessions were the most preferred delivery methods of continuing education; (iv) coaches with more background (i.e. certified) in formal coach education settings were more favorable to these programs; and (v) significant differences existed between sub-groups which provides evidence for contextually different coaching education programs. Ultimately, the results of this study and subsequent research could form the basis for quality coach education programs that are viewed as essential to the development of intercollegiate coaches.

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© Copyright 2013 Collin M. Fehr