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Homework answers / question archive / Marathon Runners at Different Levels David Abruzzo is the newly elected president of the Metrocity Striders Track Club (MSTC)
Marathon Runners at Different Levels David Abruzzo is the newly elected president of the Metrocity Striders Track Club (MSTC). One of his duties is to serve as the coach for runners who hope to complete the New York City Marathon. Because David has run many marathons and ultramarathons successfully, he feels quite comfortable assuming the role and responsibilities of coach for the marathon runners. The training period for runners intending to run New York is 16 weeks. During the first couple of weeks of training, David was pleased with the progress of the runners and had little difficulty in his role as coach. However, when the runners reached Week 8, the halfway mark, some things began to occur that raised questions in David’s mind regarding how best to help his runners. The issues of concern seemed quite different from those that David had expected to hear from runners in a marathontraining program. All in all, the runners and their concerns could be divided into three different groups. One group of runners, most of whom had never run a marathon, peppered the coach with all kinds of questions. They were very concerned about how to do the marathon and whether they had the ability to complete such a challenging event successfully. They asked questions about how far to run in training, what to eat, how much to drink, and what kind of shoes to wear. One runner wanted to know what to eat the night before the marathon, and another wanted to know whether it was likely that he would pass out when he crossed the finish line. For David the questions were never-ending and rather basic. He wanted to treat the runners like informed adults, but they seemed to be acting immature, and rather childish. The second group of runners, all of whom had finished the New York City Marathon in the previous year, seemed most concerned about the effects of training on their running. For example, they wanted to know precisely how their per-week running mileage related to their possible marathon finishing time. Would running long practice runs help them through the wall at the 20-mile mark? Would taking a rest day during training actually help their overall conditioning? Basically, the runners in this group seemed to want assurances from David that they were training in the right way for New York. For David, talking to this group was easy because he enjoyed giving them encouragement and motivational pep talks. A third group was made up of seasoned runners, most of whom had run several marathons and many of whom had finished in the top 10 of their respective age divisions. Sometimes they complained of feeling flat and acted a bit moody and down about training. Even though they had confidence in their ability to compete and finish well, they lacked an element of excitement about running in the New York event. The occasional questions they raised usually concerned such things as whether their overall training strategy was appropriate or whether their training would help them in other races besides the New York City Marathon. Because of his running experience, David liked to offer running tips to this group. However, when he did, he felt like the runners ignored and discounted his suggestions. He was concerned that they may not appreciate him or his coaching. Questions 1. How would you describe the runners in Groups 1, 2 & 3? What kind of leadership do they want from David, and what kind of leadership does David seem prepared to give them? 2. If you were helping David with his coaching, how would you describe his strengths and weaknesses? What suggestions would you make to him about how to improve?
Leadership on Sports
Question 1
The first group is inclusive of runners who are new in the marathon (low development group). As a result, they have many questions that may seem obvious to the coach but are not entirely evident to the group. In addition, some of the questions asked are not the most critical factors in a marathon. This group needs a leader to show the general direction and backing up already existing talent. The leadership style to be employed is supportive and directional (Northouse, 2021).
The second group is much more aware and capable of running a marathon. Being that they have only participated in a race once, they have a great degree of self-motivation. They have passed the stage of asking the most basic questions, and thus the coach feels less burdened when dealing with them. The group needs a leader who can assure them and direct them based on their experience in the track. In this group, the coach applied the supportive leadership style, which worked effectively. In addition, he could implement the participative leadership style where players are allowed to come up with viable ideas on how to win the marathon (Northouse, 2021).
The third group includes runners who have participated in the marathon multiple times (High development group). As a result, they lack the motivation to participate in any other marathon. The coach has the task of creating a new challenge they have not conquered before. The athletes will have something to look forward to in the coming race. It is referred to as the Achievement oriented leadership style (Northouse, 2021).
Question 2
One of the coach’s strengths is utilizing his experience in marathon racing to mentor the second group and motivating them to become better athletes. His greatest weakness is that he has failed to understand that the level of the first group is not the same as the second group. Despite that some of the questions asked by the first group seem essential, he should endure with them because each runner always passes through that first stage.
David should embrace the path-goal theory of leadership that varies with situations, that is, directive (Group 1), supportive and participatory (Group 2), and Achievement oriented leadership (Group 3).