Thirteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

This paper reflects on the ways in which women leaders of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, have created their team culture. There is a paucity of research on leadership in high performance female sport, particularly from coaches and captains. The objective of this research is to examine aspects of culture and leadership through insights of the team leaders. These insights are developed through application of Schein’s (2010) three level theoretical model of organizational culture integrating artefacts (rites & rituals, symbols and stories), values and beliefs, and core assumptions. The findings provide practical implications for coaches and managers in developing sporting cultures and team identities. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with ten former captains and coaches of the New Zealand Silver Ferns national netball team, charts the development of the evolving nature of this culture over three distinct eras of the game. This study highlights the transition of a culture from generally autocratic in the amateur period to a more empowering context in the professional era. It concludes that ultimately the culture is proving to be successful on court without sacrificing values of care and respect for all team members on and off the court. The team culture has similarities with other elite sport teams, for example focusing on winning, but perhaps a point of difference is the prominence given to a caring culture. The implications are for developing teams of women, led by women, and for women’s sport culture.