Basketball coaches’ experience in working with multicultural teams: Central and Northern European perspectives

This study seeks to address a gap in research regarding the perspectives of coaches working within European teams comprising both domestic and immigrated players. In order to explore coaches' experience in working with multicultural teams, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six head coaches of professional basketball teams in Central and Northern Europe (two in Czech Republic, two in Germany, two in Latvia) and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. The study focused primarily on communication and interaction between immigrated players and coaches, and on strategies used by coaches to overcome problems arising within multicultural teams. The findings identified three main themes: differences in values between foreign and domestic players/coaches; the formation of ethnic subgroups in teams; and race as a potentially problematic factor in coach-athlete relationships. The implications of this study include noting the importance of educational programs for coaches focused on raising cultural awareness, and recognising the need for further studies in this relatively under-researched area.