Evaluation Homework

Application 9: Qualitative Analysis

Imagine you are hired as an evaluation consultant for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) directly after graduating. The administration is in the process of evaluating their adult league tennis program and want to know how to improve it. In order to help them with this question, they ask you to interview league participants to find out what their experience in league tennis is like, and what’s important to them.

Below is the transcribed text of one of those interviews.

Here is what you will do to analyze the data:

A. Read your data once without doing anything.

B. Look for commonalities between the responses.

C. Create names for these similarities (codes). Write the codes at the bottom of the document (or on a separate document if it is easier). Note, I have started creating a table as an example that you can use.

D. Highlight the data according to your codes. You will probably need to rethink your categories at least once. Change them at the bottom of the page and recode accordingly.

E. Provide at least one quote example for each code.

F. Count up the data in each category and write the number with the codes.

G. Based on your findings, what recommendations would you make to improve the program? Be specific to your findings in explaining your reasoning behind your recommendations.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION

Why don't you just start by telling me a bit about your experience playing tennis.

Um, like what ?

How did you get started?  How long have you been playing?

Originally, my wife started playing tennis and then my kids started playing as a junior, and I never did play and then finally, after they was in the juniors and I would sit and watch, and then I picked it up and started playing.  So, I've probably been playing about 12 years.  I started a little late in life, but then,  

It's a common story.  It's interesting.  So, who do you play with now? You play in league?

Yeah.  I play men's, 55 and over, 40 and over, and 18 and over.

Are you playing just casually too, or tournaments, or?

Mostly casually.  A lot of the tournaments, I used to play some of the tournaments, but most of it's kinda went.  You know, the tournaments kinda fell off.  You know, usually tournaments were like two week-ends and I travel a lot so I'm usually gone.  It even  affects my tennis, it's like I'll be gone, and then I'll come back and gotta pick back up.  Tennis is one of those things that you wanta,  so it's more recreational tennis.

So, what's the time commitment like?

What do you mean?

You're on multiple teams, you're doing work-outs, you're captaining?

Just you know, whenever I'm in town I'm doing it.  Of course, my wife helps me and some of the teams we captain, there's a couple of us who will do it, like a captain, co-captain.  So when I'm gone, he's  gonna do it or we'll talk on the phone, and vise-versa.

About how many hours a week would you say, roughly?

When I'm in town, probably tennis, I'll probably do 4 times a week, play.  You know, when I'm in town.  But then I might go two weeks without playing.  (inaudible) [00:02:08]   It's just a roller coaster.  But as far as captaining, a lot, because, especially when I'm doing multiple teams,  like nobody, not a lot of people like to captain, so I try to do it just to get people involved.  I started doing mixed with my wife.  Kinda liked it.. (inaudible) [00:02:28]    That's why I started doing mixed.  Before it was always men's.  Right now, it's three mixed teams, 40 and over, that are currently going right now.  And then we got 18 and over, we made sectionals, we're playing in that.

Your men's?

Men's 18 and over.  I made that.  Earlier in the year I went a 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, I had three mixed teams, they were two 8,0's and a 7.0.  And at that same time I had a, we had two 18 and over's and two 55 and over's.  Colby was doing he 18, and I would help him.  He's doing a back and forth with that and then he helps me with 55 and over.  So, with that, it's just a lot of work, a lot of corrdinating and then,.  You make mistakes, you'll send out wrong e-mails, or mess up here or there.  That's just kind of a nature, when you get overloaded.

So, tell me about the relationships with the people you play tennis with. 

Um.  I've made a lot of friends, you know, through the tennis things.  I've got all my other good friends and I've met a lot of good friends through tennis as well.  It's like everything else, I mean, some of the tennis players  have a lot in common.  Some don't,  I mean there's a big mix in tennis.

How did you meet?  Were you meeting through tennis? Or did you meet elsewhere and then start playing tennis together?

Do you mean friends?

Yeah.  You friends in tennis.

I met them kinda through tennis.  I mean, I knew some as I met going in, (inaudible) [00:04:09] Like when I started, I didn't really know anybody, so just started with work-outs and then eventually got asked to go on a league and then playing the leagues,  you know, at the Sports Mall, just become friends with more and more members.

Do you hang out after matches?  Or is it just you play tennis?

We do. We do a lot.  I mean there's a captain, and I'm like, yeah I'll be the captain.  There's a bunch of us, we usually bring a cooler to our teams for our leagues.  At least for our team, (inaudible)[00:04:44]   Some of the guys will stay after and , you know, socialize talk, have a drink, soda pop.  We bring everything from water to soda pop.  Cover everybody.

Do you have a favorite format?  Singles, doubles,,?

Doubles is what I play.  I don't play singles.

Do you generally play with the same people?  Or ..

When we get together, I play with some friends, well no, even when we get together we'll do round robin.  There will be four of us and we'll play a set with each person,  we're just playing socially, so we play with everybody.  My men's league, some of them we get we try to get the same partner.  Unfortunately, maybe I've been, probably in the last two years or so, I don't think I've played with the same partner, maybe (inaudible) [00:05:49]   I just kinda adapt a little bit more.  I'm not super strong but I can adapt and play with multiple different players, therefore, I'm the rover, I guess.

What do you get out of playing tennis?

Exercise and, you know, meet new people and I enjoy that.

What do you get specifically out of league?  Anything you get out of league that you wouldn't get out of just hitting with friends?

Well, you meet more people with league and then, obviously leagues have the little bit of competitiveness versus just hitting with friends.  The best part of league is you kinda pick (inaudible) [00:06:36]  Advance and move on through districts and sectionals and hopefully on to nationals.

How important is that stuff to league?  Like advancing?

Oh, I think people that get doing it, it's important.  Or they all try, everybody.  It's a goal.  I mean, obviously there's not a lot of people that make it or do it, because there are not  a lot of tennis players .  There's only so many people throughout the whole, you know,  Utah has got a lot of teams,  I mean they get lucky and get a few here and there but.  I've been pretty fortunate, I've been to Nationals twice, on a men's 4.0, in 2010 and 12.  And now, the team that I captain, made (inaudible) [00:07:28]   We won and we're going to  Nationals.

Congratulations.

I think that our 55 and over team that I'm the captain of, has a really good chance.  And our 40 and over, so,  You never know, you gotta get through, but based on last year when we went to Sectionals and the competition, we was right there.  The teams that went on, like Idaho and (inaudible) [00:07:51]   they went and they actually took second in Nationals.  In fact, we did, on our 2012, our men's 4.0, we took second in Nationals.  The first year, we almost, but didn't make it out of our flight.  There's flights there so (inaudible) [00:08:11]  But it was fun.  (inaudible)  if everybody gets a chance, so enjoy.

Thinking about this team here, what's it like, what are matches like?  What's the environment like?  You mentioned a little bit.  Maybe you can expand on it.

The competitiveness? Or, I mean, the matches are competitive.  And you get some people that are  ultra competitive that, probably, I'd say, go beyond, you know, what it is designed to do.  It's designed to be competitive and advance.  (inaudible) [00:08:45]   Some people go a little bit further beyond, in  ways, that , (inaudible) [00:08:57]  not the best line calling, or doing some things like that.  But, you can't control, you just have to move on.  

 What's the environment like?  Are you paying attention to the other courts?  You mentioned your'e hanging out afterwards, are you watching matches?

Yeah.  I think it's easier to be playing than it is to be there to watch and honestly, from my prospective.  I hear that from a lot of people, especially if you're kinda captaining,  you get to kinda watch your team.  You're always nervous.  They're up and down.  It's exciting, but, as you advance, leagues are just, you get to watch some good matches.  You get some tight matches, some fun matches, you know.  A good match is worth, I mean for both people on both sides are very fair, you know, and enjoy the match both ways, win or lose. You know, there's gotta be one winner and one loser.  Sometimes you're on one side and sometimes you're on the other.  As long as everybody's out there enjoying it, it's..

What are practices like?

Practices, you know, as we get together a good team, we get, you know, starting to advance to Sectionals, practices heat up like everything else.  We start trying to have more and try to get ready.

Are they competitive?  Are they encouraging?

The practices?

Yeah.

Yes.  Sometimes.  Well, it depends on the player.  I get some that play practices like they are match.  You know, almost hitting people, and doing the other.

What's it like to play on a team?  On an individual sport?

The comradery, you know, the comradery  , It's fun, Enjoyment.  Sometimes you learn a lot about people, you know, that you might not know, good or bad.

What's a match like if you win and the team loses?

Um, well, obviously, the individual winner feels good about himself, but, you know, it's, you know, a team wins and loses as a team, and.  I mean it's probably a let down for everybody on the team, but then they're over it the next day, cause it's, I mean, everybody, I think, has been on both sides of that, so they feel the let down where they've been the one that's lost.  So, you have to win as a team and lose as a team. I mean, obviously, it's easier for the people who get done first,  that's always part of the fun to laugh when you go off the court.  But it isn't any more their fault than the guy that got done first, but it always seems like, you know what I mean, they seem to take the biggest hit or the brunt of it.  Or maybe they feel like it.  I don't think so, I just, you know, I'll get em next time or whatever, so.

What about if you play like crap and win?  What's that like?

Um, that is a really good day, I guess, or lucky playing.  Something must have been on your side, I mean, it's either, you play like crap and won, or they played worse than you played.

How does that feel?  Are you happy  that you won? Or is it an..

Oh, I mean it's not, I mean,  you think more, or at least I do, (inaudible) [00:12:35]  Just how, you know, what they played or what they need to work on or adjust.  Same thing with a loss, an only bad loss is if you don't learn anything from that loss.  Or don't make, in my opinion, a bad loss you walk away mad and don't learn nothing but that match.  Especially if you think you played decent, but you didn't recognize what you would do later if you had that same match, you know what I mean?  Because it's experience that's gonna give you the adjustments.  You know, I think tennis is a game of adjustments (inaudible) [00:13:08]  Because everybody plays different.  Then, each player will make some adjustments, so it's whoever makes the most adjustments, you know, and continues on with adjustments to win or non-adjustments, either way.  Unless you're just totally out skilled, which, you run into that too.  You know, the guy is just like beyond.  You do get some fairly close players, a lot of it has to be, you know, adjustments.  That's what I think.

How do new players join your team?  How does that process work?

Um, new players, depends on, well obviously, players are always moving up and down the ladder.  So it depends on the whole thing.  When you've got a team, it's hard to kick somebody off that's a team.  So usually, most of the players on a team have been there before. Say a team that I'm on, that if you lose some, you bring some on.  And, obviously, in leagues from each team in leagues, you have more teams.  The more teams that are in that league, you have more matches.  More matches, you can have more players on a team.  Less matches, you have to start cutting players.  I've been to that where I want to add a team but there wasn't as many teams. So, there are some players that I couldn't play, had to not qualify or play because of that, so..

Tell me about that. Tell me about a situation where you had to cut a player.  How did that go over?

Um, well the first one to cut is I cut myself.  I mean, because I'm captain, so I don't cut anybody else.  I'll step down and not play and just captain.  Where, I mean, there's a lot of captains that, they captain and they play every match, play everything and sometimes, you know, it would be different if they were maybe the top player, but they might be a lower player, but they still play themselves, which I can see that too.  If they're gonna put the effort into captain, do it.  But if it's a competitive team, and they're trying to go, then sometimes that wears on some of the other players too, I think.  It really depends on the status  of where your team is.  You know, if you're in it to try to advance and compete, or if you're just doing it for fun, then it don't matter so much.  It's kinda one of those..

Do players find your team?  Do you recruit them?  How does that work?

Um, you know, I run into players or people, um, then if I have, or I'll talk.  A lot of it isn't just talent, it's more personality,  how they get along.  I don't like to have people that are, cause a lot of drama, or (inaudible) [00:15:46]   That's the last thing I need on being a team as far as a captain and not a player.  And the same with the players, I mean, I hear from players, you know, if they run into somebody (inaudible) [00:16:01]   But that's only one, but if you hear it a few times then there is probably, you know, more of a norm, so it's..

Have you ever had a player join a team and they weren't as good as they claimed?

Oh yeah.  Or you join them because you thought they were better.  Or maybe they do work outs and they play like all stars, but they get in a match and then they, then it's mental, then because tennis is, I think in match play, because there's competitiveness, it's, in my opinion, it's as much mental as it is talent.  You have to have both to be good.  You can have talent, but people with mental can, you know.

Tell me about a situation.  What happens?  With a player that comes on and they're not as good as ?

You just play to that, but then, I mean, once they're on the team, they're on the team, and you play them, because you committed to them.  Or at least, I do now.  I can't speak for other people, but once it is and then that, and if they don't get better throughout, (inaudible) [00:16:59]   If you're running a competitive team, then, you know, they have to wait or not on it till, you know, they're better.  So you would just make a change.  I wouldn't drop them right then after one or whatever.  Once you make the commitment, they're part of the team, so you just run with it.

But maybe not invite them back next season?

Yeah.

Tell me about how you make decisions on the team.  What factors are involved?  Is it just you, or is it other folks?

Like, what kind of decisions?

Like, who plays, the line up order, who's playing together?

It's, um, line up, I do kinda based on how I feel, you know, their (inaudible) [00:17:45]  with another player, you know what I mean.  And some of it's not given, you just move around till you see someone kinda jell, and that's, I think, you know, if they're, if a players both are comfortable with each other, that makes, that's one step better for when they walk on the court.  That's just, you know, the first key thing and then, um, comfortability with one another.  Second, is do their styles match with each other, you know, playing.  And that's the other, the second one.

How about the order?  I  there's some different philosophies on how to do that.  Like who plays one and who plays two, who plays three?

Um, one, two or threes, some of that will come down to practice.  You know, who's playing good.  And everybody with tennis, since you play tennis, you know, it's ups and downs too, you know, you can be on fire for a while, playing really well, I mean, you can be just (inaudible) [00:18:42]   So, as the team, as they go, and some of the combinations, that's where (inaudible) [00:18:49]  up and down.  When you've got a really, really good team, like, the 8.0 that I had.  There were probably at least four teams who were all pretty close.  So they're at, you know, it don't matter.  You just run and go with it, so.

Thank you.

CODING TABLE

CODE	COLOR	EXAMPLE QUOTE	# OF OCCURRENCES
Family Involvement (Example)	Funky green	Originally, my wife started playing tennis and then my kids started playing as a junior, and I never did play and then finally, after they was in the juniors and I would sit and watch, and then I picked it up and started playing	1

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