ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces high performance sport as an identifiably separate field of study in sport management. Focusing on professional team sports, a distinction is drawn between organisational effectiveness and organisational efficiency. The win–cost ratio is introduced as a measure of sporting efficiency. Organisational efficiency is decomposed into transactional and transformational efficiency and linked to the distinction between the resource-picking and capability-building functions of management. A key aspect of transactional efficiency in professional team sports is the valuation of playing talent. The different methods of comparative and fundamental valuation are described with examples from soccer transfer fees and baseball player wages. Transformational efficiency depends on the coaching function. The various aspects of coaching are considered – the recruitment function, the development function and the tactical function. The developing use of statistical performance analysis in professional team sports is examined. The chapter concludes with a short discussion of the task and relationship dimensions of leadership and the role of the coach as leader. Three case studies are provided to examine the different factors involved in achieving success in high performance team sports – John Wooden’s emphasis on morals and values in the success of the UCLA basketball team, Billy Beane’s use of statistical analysis to overcome resource constraints at the Oakland Athletics in Major League Baseball, and Sir Clive Woodward’s adoption of business principles and a formal performance management system to produce the England Rugby Union World Cup 2003 winning team.
