Konter (2011) focused on the self-perceptions of coaches, and used coaches as the participants. Many other researchers explored the leadership of coaches using the athletes as participants. Chen (2013) explored the correlation between paternalistic leadership of soccer coaches and the cohesion of the team. Hsu, Huang, Chih, and Dong (2005) defined paternalistic leadership style as a style of leadership that encompassed an authoritarian, yet caring environment, similar to the relationship between a parent and child. The participants were 303 students on college soccer teams who took part in the 2009-2010 Taiwan College Soccer League. Researchers selected 16 to 30 members from each team at each level of the competition using a cluster sampling method. For one year, the participants practiced with a coach for two to three hours per day, five days a week. Chen (2013) used the Soccer Coach Paternalistic Leadership Scale and Team Cohesion Scale, and a section on background of the participants. The researchers tested the reliability, validity, and suitability of the scale. The researchers used a t-test and a one-way analysis of variance to examine the impact of the different backgrounds of the players on team cohesion and perception of paternalistic leadership style. The researchers used Pearson's correlation coefficients to examine the correlation between the paternalistic leadership style of the coaches and team cohesiveness. Chen (2013) found that the different paternalistic leadership style of coaches, which was benevolent, virtuous, and authoritarian, affected the performance of players. A paternalistic style of leadership of soccer coaches significantly correlated to the team cohesion.
Konter (2011) and Chen (2013) just examined the leadership style of soccer coaches. Price and Weiss (2013) explored peer leadership and the relationship between peer and coach leadership. Price and Weiss (2013) examined the effectiveness of coach and peer leadership for individual and team outcomes of team sport athletes by using the transformational leadership theory.