Att skapa mästare : En fallstudie om coachingens, det sociala stödet, och idrottsbakgrundens roll i Finlands första medalj någonsin i WU16 EuroBasket

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of coaching, social support, and sports background in Finland’s first-ever WU16 EuroBasket medal. It aimed to gain insight into coaches’ and players’ perceptions of the reasons behind their victory. The study used several theoretical frameworks to investigate the underlying factors, such as the Developmental Model of Sport Participation, Self-Determination Theory, the Leadership Scale for Sport and the 4C framework. The social factors examined were the coach-athlete relationship, and peer and family support. Method: Since the aim was to examine team members’ perceptions of the contributing factors, a mixed methods approach was used in the study. In this method, all twelve players had to fill out an electronic questionnaire (QUAL + quan) that included open-text fields combined with closed-ended questions, while all four coaches were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis to identify key patterns and factors related to the team’s performance. Results: In terms of players’ backgrounds, factors such as previous coaches and positional versatility positively influenced the team’s performance. In addition, the success factors were grouped into five key themes: 1) team unity, 2) shared qualities among the players, 3) psychological safety, 4) collective belief in success, and 5) simplicity and specificity. Conclusion: The results show that psychological, social, and strategic factors were decisive for the team’s victory. This study highlights the critical role of coaches in supporting social and psychological development while also building physical performance and skill mastery. These findings provide valuable practical applications for future coaching in youth development and high-performance basketball.