Elementos comunicativos en entrenadores de baloncesto en diferentes categorías. Un estudio de casos. (Communicative elements among basketball coaches in different categories. A case study)

Abstract

The processes of conscious communication in sport improve players' learning; thus, the job of the basketball coach is paramount. The present study investigates the communication elements referred to as space arrangements, grouping information, and period of the season. We studied three basketball coaches in different categories (ACB, LEB and EBA). The instruments and the technique used were video cameras and systematic observations by means of triangulation. The results indicated that the team in the highest category (ACB) was the one that transmitted the most information (36.5%; n=1052). In general, the use of half the space (45.2%), the transmission of information to the group (67.2%), and instructions in the week before eliminatory competitions (around 35%) offered the highest values. The lowest-level category (EBA) indicated the need for greater technical and tactical learning, which resulted in a greater use of space near the coach; all employed mostly group information as the mode of communication, with half the space being the most used.