Vegt, S.S. de (Steven) (2017) Relationships between interpersonal coaching styles and athletes’ performance. thesis, Sport Sciences.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Background: The relationship between coach and athlete is important for athletes’ performance improvement. Coaches may possess a more autonomy supportive or a more controlling interpersonal coaching style, which can positively or negatively affect the athletes’ performance. More insight is needed in the relationships between interpersonal coaching styles and the athletes’ current performance level. Purposes: The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between the athlete’s perceived interpersonal coaching styles, the coach’s perceived interpersonal coaching styles and the observed coach’s behavior and, subsequently, the prediction of the interpersonal coaching styles on the athlete’s current performance level. Participants: In the first part of the present study, n = 81 youth athletes (61 male, 20 female, M = 14.52 ± 1.33) complete a questionnaire assessing the athlete’s perceived interpersonal coaching styles. Their coaches (n = 7 male, n = 2 female, M = 32.43 ± 12.14) completed a questionnaire assessing the coach’s perceived interpersonal coaching styles and the athletes’ current performance level. In the second part of the study, coach-athlete interactions were observed in a subsample of 56 athletes (n = 48 male, n = 8 female, M = 14.36 ± 1.23) and n = 6 coaches (n = 6 male, M = 32.78 ± 13.16). Data analyses: Pearson’s correlations, regression analyses and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were conducted to examine the relationships. Results: Correlations among different scales showed divergences between the athlete’s perceived interpersonal coaching styles, the coach’s perceived interpersonal coaching styles and the observed coach’s behavior. Perceived controlling coaching style and perceived social support showed most similarities between athletes and coaches, and were both in line with the observed coach’s behavior. Regression analyses showed no predictors of the athletes’ perceived interpersonal coaching styles and no predictors of the observed coach’s behavior on the athletes’ current performance level (p > .05), but coach’s perceived social support significantly and positively predicted the athletes’ current performance level (t = 2.53, p < .05). By using SEM, two models were conducted, showing both a good fit to the data (Model 1: χ2 (3) = 16.309, p=.001, SRMR=0.00, CFI=1.00, NNFI=1.00, RMSEA=.00. Model 2: χ2 (3) = 24.785, p=.00, SRMR=0.00, CFI=1.00, NNFI=1.00, RMSEA=.00). In the first model, both coach’s perceived controlling coaching style and coach’s perceived social support showed a significant and positive direct effect on athlete’s current performance level (p < .01 and p < .05, respectively). In the second model, coach’s perceived autonomy supportive coaching style showed a significant and negative direct effect on the athlete’s current performance level (p < .05), whereas the coach’s perceived social support showed a significant and positive direct effect on the athlete’s current performance level (p < .05). The indirect effect of the first model was non-significant (p > .05), whereas the indirect effect of the second model was significant (p < .05). Conclusions: Perceptions about interpersonal coaching styles differed between athletes and coaches. Only perceptions of a controlling interpersonal style and social support were in congruence with the observed coach’s behavior. The coach’s perceived controlling style and coach’s perceived social support were positively related to the athlete’s performance level, whereas the coach’s perceived autonomy supportive style was negatively related to the athlete’s current performance level. Coaches should adapt their interpersonal coaching styles to the athlete’s psychological needs in order to optimize the athlete’s motivation and, therefore, performance level.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 11 May 2022 09:42 |
| Last Modified: | 11 May 2022 09:42 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3274 |
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