A Qualitative Exploration of Successful High School Baseball Coaches' Silence During Practice

Authors

  • Patrick McGaha Kinesiology Department, Harding University
  • David C. Barney Department of Teacher Education, Brigham Young University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/TPE-2022-V79-I4-10753

Keywords:

Coaching, Baseball, Silence, Strategizing

Abstract

For athletic coaches, there are many methods to coach athletes. One method that may not be as common, or even thought of as coaching, is silence. Silence is when the coach does not speak but is thinking of specific team, player, and competitor items. The purpose of this study was to interview consistently successful high school baseball coaches with an emphasis on their silence as a coaching behavior. Five successful high school baseball coaches in the southeastern United States were interviewed. Generally, it was found baseball coaches were strategizing, or thinking of baseball-related items while being silent during practice. The results from this study are a valuable addition to the literature, showing that coaching is not only about talking or yelling but also about a coach’s silence, a powerful form of coaching.

 

Author Biographies

Patrick McGaha, Kinesiology Department, Harding University

Patrick McGaha is an associate professor and head baseball coach at Harding University.

David C. Barney, Department of Teacher Education, Brigham Young University

David C. Barney has been in higher education since 2001.  He has taught at North Dakota State University, Oklahoma State University, and Brigham Young University.  He taught in the Utah and Florida  public school systems for 6 years.

Published

2022-07-21

Issue

Section

Articles