“The Team Behind the Team”: Exploring the Organizational Stressor Experiences of Sport Science and Management Staff in Elite Sport

Abstract

This study explored the organizational stressors encountered by the “team behind the team” (viz., those operating in sport science and management roles) in elite sport and the consequences these can have. Forty support personnel working in elite sport were interviewed. Thematic analyses unveiled 36 lower and 6 higher order themes, which were separated into stressors encountered (e.g., relationship and interpersonal, physical resource, contractual and performance development, organizational structure and logistical) and their consequences (e.g., emotions and outcomes). Building on extant work, this study moves the focus beyond athletes' stress experiences to provide novel insight into those operating in sport science and management roles. The findings offer original insight into the educational needs of sport science and management staff, which can inform practitioners who face increasing demands to work with such personnel, and raise sports organizations' awareness of their duty of care to employees and the factors that need to be managed.

Notes

1 Although all of the participants in the current study are considered part of the “team behind the team” in applied settings, it is acknowledged that these participants all operate at different levels of an elite sport organization. For instance, although performance directors would not be tasked with providing the same type/level of support as those operating more proximally to athletes would (e.g., physiotherapists, sport scientists), they still play a crucial role in supporting athletes by orchestrating, leading, and managing the program (and its various components) that they operate within.

2 For a full copy of the raw data quotes and codes, please contact the corresponding author.