Lana McCarthy
Doctor of Philosophy, (Sport & Exercise Science)
Study Completed: 2019
College of Health
Citation
Thesis Title
Coaches, Captains and Cultural Constructs: A Case Study of the Silver Ferns
Read article at Massey Research Online: 
Female high performance sport has received scant coverage from scholarly work. Ms McCarthy's research provided a historical insight into New Zealand's national netball team, the Silver Ferns from 1960-2015. She investigated ways in which captains and coaches have constructed the evolving culture and leadership of the team, highlighting team values of work ethic, pride, and good behaviour on and off the court. In addition, other constant characteristics included pride in selection, in wearing the black dress and the symbol of the silver fern. By contrast, no single model of coaching emerged as a constant across the eras. There was also a lack of consistent rituals and a range of inconsistencies in the ways various captains and coaches perceived the emphasis placed on winning. These insights will help inform good practice in elite-level female sport teams and enable further consistent high quality performances, thereby heightening the prospect of winning.
Supervisors
Professor Andy Martin
Associate Professor Geoff Watson
Associate Professor Dennis Slade