A Brief Report on the Link between Perceived Coach Behaviour, Coach-Athlete Relationship Quality and Performance among South African Male Senior National Level Team Sport Para-Athletes
Abstract
A
fundamental feature in successful coaching outcomes and athlete performance is
rooted in the quality of the coach-athlete relationship which is impacted by
coaches’ way of being. This investigation examined whether perceived coach
behaviour associates with the coach-athlete relationship quality and self-rated
season performance among members from two South African male senior national
para-sport teams (n = 23, M age =
32.65). The predictive utility of coaches’ perceived behaviour on the dyadic
relationship quality and athletes’ views on their own performance was also
determined. Cross-sectional quantitative data were collected by means of the
Coaching Behaviour Scale for Sport, Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire
and a Likert-scale item recording athletes’
subjective rating of perceived standard of performance for the respective
competition season. The
team members’ reported fairly good standard of season performances and sound
relationship standings with their involved head coaches who were seen to exhibit
behaviours most illustrative of mental preparation, personal rapport, and
competition tactics. Inferences drawn from the correlation analyses advised
that particular adoptive coach behaviour in para-sport coaching appears to be a
meaningful construct associated with the establishment and maintenance of
relationships with athletes. Regression analyses also exposed coaches’
competition strategy behaviour to be a significant predictor of complementarity
in the coach-athlete relationship, which along with the noted positive
correlations provide a good basis for further exploration in similar sport
contexts.
Keywords
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