An autoethnographic exploration of the working practices associated with women’s football performance analysis

Wright, Lee

Abstract

Background and Purpose
Recent research has shown sports coaching, and performance analysis in particular, to be a non-linear process characterised by complexity, ambiguity and negotiated interaction between athletes and practitioners (Jones & Thomas, 2015). While work has shed light on the performance analysis process itself, there have been recent calls to explore how performance analysts engage with, and navigate the social-political realities, that characterise organisational life in sport (Huggan, Nelson, & Potrac, 2015; Fairburn, 2016). This thesis aims to address this call by detailing my own experiences of working as a performance analyst in the context of elite women’s football.
Method
Grounded in interpretivism, the study employs an autoethnographical approach (drawing on detailed diary entries) to detail the emotions, actions, and interactions that characterize PA practice. Authoethnographical vignettes are used to present a vivid portrayal “of the conduct of an event of everyday life” (Erickson, 1986, p. 149). Following Denison’s (2016) criteria for quality narrative research, thick description is combined with rich theoretical analysis in order to explore the socio-political realities of PA practice.
Results and Discussion
Results reveal how I engaged in impression management (Goffman, 1959) and surface acting (Hochschild, 1983) in order to shape the head coach’s perceptions of my competence as an analyst. My actions were also characterised by the use of ‘feeling rules’ in an effort to regulate my emotions thereby ensuring that I did not offer any challenge to the coach’s ‘legitimised authority’ (Cushion & Jones, 2006). The development of micro-political literacy was also evidenced by my ability to ‘read’ situations and create and maintain desired working conditions.
Conclusions
Findings cohere with recent research which has shown that PA practice is an inherently socio-political process and that analysts must learn how to navigate social networks in order to improve and maintain their standing in this sub-culture. In this incredibly competitive labour market – characterised by precarity and uncertainty (the hallmarks of neoliberal workplaces) – analysts use a host of strategies to manipulate impressions, manage emotions and build strong relationships with the stakeholders who wield the most power and have the greatest say over their destiny.

Citation

Wright, L. An autoethnographic exploration of the working practices associated with women’s football performance analysis. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4223283

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 9, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2023
• Keywords: Sports science
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4223283
• Additional Information: Department of Sport, Health & Exercise Science, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Dec 1, 2019