Education lawson assignment 2

Robert Lawson

CUI

March 10, 2026

Research Question Development: Leadership Communication and High School Football Player Development

As a graduate student studying coaching and athletics administration and also working as a high school football coach, one area that continues to interest me is the impact that coaching communication and leadership style have on athlete motivation and performance. Coaching at the high school level involves much more than teaching plays or running practices. Coaches are responsible for shaping discipline, confidence, and accountability among student-athletes. Because many players are still developing emotionally and academically, the way a coach communicates expectations and feedback can influence both their performance on the field and their growth as young men. My experience working with players has led me to believe that leadership style and communication from a coach can strongly affect team culture and player motivation.

The research question I plan to explore is: How does a coach’s leadership communication style affect motivation and performance among high school football players? This question focuses on whether certain approaches to communication, such as positive reinforcement, clear expectations, and relationship-based leadership, influence how athletes respond during practices and competition. The purpose of the study would be to examine how players react to different coaching styles and whether those styles contribute to improved effort, discipline, and overall team performance. This topic is important in athletics administration because leadership approaches influence not only performance but also athlete development, retention, and team culture.

This topic is personally meaningful because coaching requires balancing discipline, accountability, and mentorship. Many high school athletes respond differently depending on how coaches communicate expectations and feedback. Some athletes perform better when coaches provide encouragement and clear direction, while others may struggle if communication is overly negative or inconsistent. Understanding how leadership communication influences motivation could help coaches create more effective team environments. The findings from this research may provide insight into leadership strategies that support both athletic success and personal development among student-athletes. The assignment guidelines emphasize developing a clear research question that can be studied through observation, surveys, or interviews within an athletic population

Assignment number 1 rev. 11.11.…

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Preliminary Sources

Chelladurai, P., & Saleh, S. D. (1980). Dimensions of leader behavior in sports. Journal of Sport Psychology.

Horn, T. S. (2008). Advances in sport psychology. Human Kinetics.

Jowett, S., & Cockerill, I. M. (2003). Olympic medalists’ perspective of the athlete–coach relationship. Psychology of Sport and Exercise.

Smith, R. E., & Smoll, F. L. (1997). Coaching behaviors in youth sports. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.

Weinberg, R., & Gould, D. (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Human Kinetics.