Abstract
Debriefing has become an increasingly common practice in sport (Hogg, 2002; Macquet, et al., 2015; McArdle et al., 2010). For the purpose of this study, debriefing is defined as "a discussion between the coach and athlete that is conducted after competition, with the aim of achieving positive changes and improvements in the following competition" (Macquet et al., 2015). While postgame debriefing in sport has been purported to have numerous positive outcomes (e.g., aid learning, increase psychological recovery; Hogg, 1998; 2002), it is crucial to examine the athletes' perceptions of this process in order to examine its efficacy. To this end, nine female varsity level (USport) volleyball players participated in semi-structured interviews aimed at uncovering their thoughts and feelings related to postgame debriefs. Athletes identified two dominant themes and objectives that they want from the debriefing process: (a) communication, and (b) the desire for personal growth and learning. Athletes seek the opportunity to share thoughts/feelings about the game and engage in two-way communication with their coach. Eight of the nine participants reported wanting feedback about how they can improve as an athlete and be more effective on the court. These findings suggest that athletes do see value in post-game debriefing but the effectiveness of this practice is dependent on a number of factors. For example, the coach's ability to facilitate and teach the athletes was one of the biggest factors in whether or not athletes found a debrief to be effective.
