The Coach-athlete relationship and Self-determination (original) (raw)

Dimensions of coaching behavior, need satisfaction, and the psychological and physical welfare of young athletes

Grounded in self-determination theory (E. L. , the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of dimensions of coaching behavior to intrinsic need satisfaction and indices of psychological and physical well-being among male adolescent athletes. Participants were 265 British soccer and cricket players (M age = 16.44). Structural equation modeling analysis, using maximum likelihood robust method, showed athletes' perceptions of autonomy support, mastery focus, and social support from the coach to predict their satisfaction of the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, respectively. The satisfaction of the need for competence emerged as the most important predictor of psychological and physical well-being. The findings suggest that particular aspects of the social environment may be salient for fostering particular psychological needs. The results also underline the importance of perceived competence for the psychological and physical welfare of adolescents in team sports.

Motivational processes in the coach-athlete relationship: A multi-cultural self-determination approach

Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2017

Objective: Grounded in self-determination theory, the present study examined the cultural invariance of a model that hypothesized sport performers' well-being will be predicted by both their perceptions of motivation and the quality of the relationship held with their coach. Method: Participants (N = 756), originating from five countries (British, Chinese, Greek, Spanish, and Swedish), completed a questionnaire that measured perceived coach-athlete relationship quality, basic psychological need satisfaction, self-determined motivation, and well-being. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data. Results: Analysis revealed that athletes who perceived a high quality relationship experienced heightened levels of basic need satisfaction. Need satisfaction positively predicted self-determined motivation, which, in turn, linked to enhanced well-being. Moreover, mediation analyses supported the explanatory roles of need satisfaction and self-determined motivation within the model. Lastly, multi-sample SEM invariance testing revealed the model to be largely invariant across cultures. Conclusions: The results support the universal application of self-determination theory and the central role interpersonal relationships play in promoting well-being.

The coach-athlete relationship: a motivational model

Journal of sports sciences, 2003

The aim of this paper is to present a motivational model of the coach-athlete relationship that describes how coaches may influence athletes' motivation. In line with cognitive evaluation theory (Deci and Ryan, 1980, 1985) and the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Vallerand, 1997, 2000), a motivational sequence is proposed where coaches' personal orientation towards coaching, the context within which they operate, and their perceptions of their athletes' behaviour and motivation influence coaches' behaviours. Also, coaches' behaviours in the form of autonomy-supportive behaviours, provision of structure and involvement have a beneficial impact on athletes' needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, which, in turn, nurture athletes' intrinsic motivation and self-determined types of extrinsic motivation. Here, we first review coaches' autonomy-supportive behaviours. We then describe the psychological processes through which ...

Antecedents of perceived coach autonomy supportive and controlling behaviors: coach psychological need satisfaction and well-being

Journal of sport & exercise psychology, 2011

Within the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) framework, research has considered the consequences of coaches' autonomy supportive and controlling behaviors on various athlete outcomes (e.g., motivation and performance). The antecedents of such behaviors, however, have received little attention. Coaches (N = 443) from a variety of sports and competitive levels completed a self-report questionnaire to assess their psychological need satisfaction, well-being and perceived interpersonal behaviors toward their athletes. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that coaches' competence and autonomy need satisfaction positively predicted their levels of psychological well-being, as indexed by positive affect and subjective vitality. In turn, coaches' psychological well-being positively predicted their perceived autonomy support toward their athletes, and negatively predicted their perceived controlling behaviors. Overall, the results highlight the importance of coac...

What do coaches do" and "how do they relate": their effects on athletes' psychological needs and functioning

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 2013

Grounded in self-determination theory, this study aimed to examine the links of the social environment, as defined by coach interpersonal behaviors and coach-athlete relationships, with athletes' psychological need satisfaction and indexes of well-being. Athletes (N = 300) completed a multi-section questionnaire assessing the study variables. Bootstrap mediation analysis highlighted significant indirect effects whereby the competence need mediated associations between the social environment of coaching and athletes' vitality, negative affect, and physical self-concept (defined as skillfulness and performance). Findings support theoretical assumptions and highlight that athletes' perceptions of what coaches do, and how they relate, are important to their psychological needs satisfaction and optimal functioning.

Coaching the coach: Intervention effects on need-supportive coaching behavior and athlete motivation and engagement

Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2019

The present intervention study examined whether youth sport coaches can be trained in adopting a need-supportive (i.e., autonomy support and structure) coaching style to the benefit of youth athletes' autonomous motivation and engagement. Participants were 43 coaches (33 men, 10 women) and 326 youth athletes (221 boys, 105 girls), active in 12 team or individual sports. Sport coaches were randomly assigned to either a control or intervention condition. The training involved a workshop trajectory spanning four sessions on how to incorporate a (more) need-supportive coaching style. As for coaches' self-reported coaching style, results of multilevel modelling revealed positive effects on autonomy support and control at posttest, and additional effect on structure and control from pre-test to follow-up (i.e., 4 months later) compared to coaches in the control condition. As for athletes' reports, multilevel modelling showed that athletes of coaches in the intervention, relative to those involved in the control group, perceived their coach to be more autonomy-supportive, more structuring, and less chaotic from pre-to posttest, with these effects being more pronounced for athletes of team sports. Further, athletes of coaches in the intervention group reported being more autonomously motivated and more engaged compared to those of coaches in the control group. Overall, the present findings indicate that sport coaches can become more skilled in adopting a need-supportive coaching style, to the benefit of athletes' autonomous motivation and engagement.

How Do Profiles of Need-Supportive and Controlling Coaching Relate to Team Athletes’ Motivational Outcomes? A Person-Centered Approach

Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 2020

Building on recent SDT research differentiating controlling coaching into a demanding and domineering approach, this study examined the role of both approaches in athletes' motivational outcomes when accompanied by autonomy support or structure. Within team sport athletes (N = 317; Mage = 17.67), four sets of K-means cluster analyses systematically pointed towards a four-cluster solution (e.g., high-high, high-low, low-high, low-low), regardless of the pair of coaching dimensions used. One of the identified coaching profiles involved coaches who are perceived to combine need-supportive and controlling behaviors (i.e., high-high). Whereas combining need-supportive and domineering behaviors (i.e., highhigh) yield lower autonomous motivation and engagement compared to a high need support profile (i.e. high-low), this is less the case for the combination of need-supportive and demanding behaviors (i.e., high-high). This person-centered approach provides deeper insights in how coaches combine different styles and how some forms of controlling coaching yield a greater cost than others.

Influence of coaches' autonomy support on athletes' motivation and sport performance: A test of the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2010

Objectives: Based on the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation . Toward a hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (pp. 271e360). New York: Academic Press], the purpose of this study was to propose and test a model which posits that coaches' autonomy support facilitates athletes' self-determined motivation toward a sport activity (i.e., judo). Self-determined motivation promotes athletes' situational self-determined motivation before a competition, that in turn, predicts their sport performance. Method: A total of 101 judokas completed questionnaires after the weighting session (i.e., between one and two hours before the beginning of the competitive event). Athletes' objective performance during the competition was obtained via the French Judo Federation. Results: Results from structural equation modeling analyses provided support for the hypothesized model. These results are in accordance with self-determination theory and the hierarchical model. Conclusions: By showing that coaches' autonomy support facilitates self-determined motivation and sport performance, the present findings have important implications for a better understanding of the determinants of athletes' performance.

Cohesiveness, coach's interpersonal style and psychological needs: Their effects on self-determination and athletes' subjective well-being

Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2009

Goal: The goal of this study was to test the impact of cohesiveness and coaches' controlling interpersonal style on athletes' perceptions of autonomy, competence and relatedness. A contextual motivation sequence . Toward a hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In M. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 29 (pp. 271-360). New York: Academic Press.] was tested whereby social factors supporting the satisfaction of basic needs would increase the level of sport self-determination, which in turn, should predict subjective well-being in athletes.

The coach-created motivational climate, young athletes’ well-being and intentions to continue participation

Drawing from the theories of self-determination (SDT; achievement goals (AGT;, and, in particular, Vallerand's four-stage casual sequence embedded in his hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (HMIEM; , this study tested a motivational model in the sport context via structural equation modeling (SEM). Based on the responses of 370 young male soccer players (M age = 14.77), the path analysis results offered overall support for the proposed model. A perceived task-involving climate emerged as a positive predictor of the satisfaction of the three psychological needs, while a perceived ego-involving climate was a negative predictor of relatedness satisfaction. The results also support positive paths between satisfaction of the three psychological needs and intrinsic motivation, while intrinsic motivation was positively linked to subjective vitality and future intention to participate. The implications of the coach-created motivational climate are discussed in the light of its implications for the quality and potential maintenance of sport involvement among young athletes.