Application of a Coding System to the Verbal Conduct of Volleyball Coaches

Abstract

In the present work we present the development of a codification system to analyze the verbal content of volleyball trainers, carried out during the direction of a team in competition. The codification system is based a process used in the training of the codifiers. Using the observers' training as a reference, we present a rigorous methodological proposal made up of three phases, with the final aim of obtaining a reliable quantitative study of the codifiers observations. A secondary aim is to reinforce the analytical process of qualitative information. Additionally, we publish the results of the research carried out with volleyball trainers, in which we applied a program of supervision to optimize their verbal conduct during team direction. The application of a supervision program for the trainers has allowed us to obtain improvements in the verbal conduct of the trainers studied. In "time-outs" during the game, the most relevant modifications were noted in the increased frequency of tactical information, references relating to the opposing team, and collective information. KEY WORDS: Codification system; content analysis; verbal conduct; volleyball trainer.