Understanding coach-athlete conflict: an ethnodrama to illustrate conflict in elite sport

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to gain greater understanding of interpersonal conflict between managers and players within an elite team sport environment. We consider conflict from multiple perspectives, and disseminate findings in an accessible way to encourage those involved in team sport to engage with the material. Through the adoption of a narrative inquiry approach, autobiographical extracts recalling incidences of conflict from a manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) and certain key players (e.g. David Beckham) have been analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, with finding presented through the mean of ethnodrama scenes. Such scenes were developed as a dialogue between Ferguson and his players, to illustrate the episodes of conflict through the eyes of both the players and Ferguson, with creative non-fiction techniques used to further bring the script to life. These scripts reflect the differences in the interpretation of the same conflict situations and allow the reader to reflect on the determinants of these conflicts, and the resulting consequences. It is hoped that the ethnodrama enhances further understanding of leader-athlete conflict in elite sport, through illustrating examples of conflict from different perspectives. In addition, the findings provide a stimulus for those working in sports teams to reflect on their own experiences of conflict and consider how such conflict might be prevented or managed.