Coach and Player Relationships - An Attachment Theory Perspective

It is important for coaches to build relationships with their athletes in any sport but can those relationships become detrimental? Imagine partaking in the same routine for a prolonged period of time and then suddenly have it stopped, what would you do to cope? That is the predicament of the Manchester United Football Club, a solid relationship built between Sir Alex Ferguson and his players for his 27 years and then to have it shattered by his retirement; it's quite similar to the circumstances of an orphaned child whether it be by death or abandonment. It is the attachment of those players to Sir Alex that has kept them alive for so long. The bond that he built with that club and those players, I believe will never be matched, but is that such a bad thing? In a sport where trophies count, was such a fall from glory really worth it?

David Moyes came along and attempted to fill these enormous shoes and couldn't but was it really his fault? Can he be blamed for the decline in performance of this prestigious club? I think not. With respect to Attachment Theory, in Harlow's experiment with the rhesus monkeys, Moyes would be seen as the "mother"only providing sustenance, and in the end, it was shown that sustenance just wasn't enough; his coaching abilities couldn't keep MUFC at the top of the table. But in relation to Sir Alex, the mother that provided comfort and warmth was the one that the monkeys clung to. Perhaps the players are holding on to what was rather than embracing what is. The fact of the matter is that they have to move on and rebuild.

This change won't come in one season, maybe not even two but as long as they can re-focus, there is no doubt that they will again once be a force to reckon with. I empathize with Moyes but maybe another manager would come and prove once again that the Red Devils are just an average team with average players who reaped success through the brilliance of their former manager.

~Dawn~

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Individualism in Team Sports - Good or Bad?

Everyone has to be individual in their own right but in a team setting should that individualism be converted to selfish competition among team members? It is my belief that this type of behaviour breaks down team unity and causes tension among team members. What can be done to curb this behaviour? How can we stop this rivalry among team members and build cohesion to enhance overall team performance? Is this type of individualistic behaviour engrained in us or does it develop out of our interaction with the various environments that we are placed in. Whatever the source, it is something that needs to be eliminated if a team is to function effectively. Not everyone possesses this competitive attitude and it takes away the enjoyment derived from sport participation and lessens the camaraderie associated with the interaction of people who share a common interest. I personally believe that athletes should be assessed adequately before entering a team setting as we may be able to fi

Sport Psychology in the Caribbean: The Way Forward

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What's Next? Life of a Budding Caribbean Sport Professional

All of the studying, the hard work, the dedication, long hours, papers written, presentations given, leading up to that one dissertation, then to graduation to bring me to this point. What next? To return home to a country that does not recognize the importance of sport as a profession could go down to date as one of my biggest regrets. Should I just throw my hands in the air and give up? Should I stay committed to the cause that drove me to pursue these academic qualifications and trod on? These questions still remained unanswered. Truth is, I'm an academic, to study and to continue to mould myself into the type of professional I want to be is my aim. I've been told by many that I'm too young to seek a Doctoral qualification in sport; suicide they call it, yet I press on. I'm not too down-hearted, I still have some faith left but with each passing day and each missed opportunity, that slowly dwindles away. If I intend to stay, I have to make a way. I need t

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