ABSTRACT
In the Israeli Premier Football League there is a phenomenon in which many team captains or players who were the team’s leaders go on to become professional coaches. Reality shows that some of them make it as great coaches, and some ‘get lost’ – failing in the transition from being a leading player to assuming the leadership position of coaching. This article seeks to understand the challenges in that process and to identify factors that explain the resulting successes or failures in the process, based on Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Perspective and Leadership models. Semi-structured interviews were held with active and retired Israeli football players and coaches (N = 10). The article identified two different sets of behaviours that are expected from team captains or team leaders by their teammates, and from coaches by their players, that identify them as successful leaders. In addition, it highlights major factors in explaining the phenomenon of lack of success in the transition – that is, the failure to make the necessary changes in these behaviours during the process.
