Being a good sport: players' uptake to coaches' joking in interviews for the youth national team. Issue 2 (3rd May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kilger, Magnus; Aronsson, Karin
• Is Part Of: Sports coaching review. Volume 9:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 185
• Page End: 207
• Publication Date: 2020-05-03
• Subjects: Humor -- assessment sequences -- performance appraisal interviews -- coach-athlete interaction -- character contests; Coaching (Athletics) -- Periodicals; 796.07705
• DOI: 10.1080/21640629.2019.1605727
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2164-0629

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper draws on detailed analyses of authentic coach-athlete interviews during the final selection camp for the Swedish national youth team in hockey. The audio-recorded interviews between the coaches and the individual players (20 players and two national team coaches) covered various issues, involving both the individual players´ goal-setting and sports character, as displayed in his self-presentation during the interview. If the presumptive elite level player presented a vague or low goal or an overly humble self-presentation, this was contested by the coach through jokes, laughter or ironic teasing. Such conversational joking exchanges formed part of each coach´s toolkit for giving critical feedback to interview questions. In their uptake to the coaches playful corrections, the players were expected to engage in po-faced receipt or to laugh along. The selection involved character contests both on the ice rink and in the talk-in-interaction that formed part of the performance appraisal procedure.