Coaching involves a unique dyadic relationship between a coach and athletes. Its goal is to encourage these parties to realize their individual and relationship goals. A coach and athlete need each other to be successful in competitive sports. When one perceives coaching as coach-centered or athlete-centered, they limit its quality, scope, and functions. A coach-athlete-centered triad relationship provides a basis to understand the process and practice of coaching. A coach who is close to athletes can enhance a team’s growth and success. When investigating a coach’s ability to manage relationships, one focuses on skill development and interpersonal satisfaction. Emphasis is placed on the coach’s genuine and positive intention to initiate a relationship with athletes. Very few coaches have mastered effective communication skills. They are likely to physically and emotionally abuse athletes. They believe that athletes should not participate in the decision-making process. As a result, they throw objects, shout, and threaten athletes who challenge their authorities. This style creates a division between a coach and athletes. Effective coaches can manage relationships effectively to enhance athletes’ physical and emotional well-being, resolve disputes, and nurture athletes’ talents and skills to realize high sports performance and success.
While social and personal relationships enhance the athletes’ productivity, health, and well-being, conflicts are prevalent in sports, and they result in upset, hurt feelings, anxiety, and distrust. In sporting events, the stakes are high, emotions are heightened, and outcomes are uncertain, making it challenging for athletes to elicit appropriate behaviors (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). As a result, conflicts occur due to team selection and training procedures, coaches’ high expectations, and power struggles between teammates. In some instances, coaches interfere with athletes’ personal lives. Even though athletes disagree with their coaches, they perceive them as role models, and hence, they seek advice and support from them. For this reason, coaches must elicit high emotional intelligence to foster athlete performance and well-being. According to a recent study, coaches who have poor communication skills, lack enthusiasm, unable to define athletes’ roles, and fail to support and encourage athletes negatively impact athletes’ performance (Thewell et al., 2017). Despite the prevalence of athlete-coach conflicts, there is an insignificant focus on this issue within sports.
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Most coaches employ ineffective leadership strategies that exacerbate the abuse of athletes. Past research highlighted that athletes are subject to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse (Kavanagh et al., 2017). Some athletes claim they encounter bullying, name-calling, and neglect under their coaches’ leadership. Such abusive behavior makes athletes lose self-esteem, confidence, unappreciated, and rejected. Some athletes adopt maladaptive stress coping mechanisms, such as detachment, denial, endurance, and illusionary control (Kavanagh et al., 2017). While some athletes seek social support, most coaches fail to sympathize with them. Most coaches are unaware of how simple cues like body language and eye contact lead to communication and interaction problems with their athletes (Thewell et al., 2017). As a result, some athletes may quit a team if they feel undervalued. Understanding the interpersonal dynamics between athletes and coaches can enhance the coach’s communication, leadership, and management skills. Coaches who can effectively manage relationships with their athletes are likely to promote team cohesion and collective efficacy.
I will use interpersonal relationship management skills in my coaching. As a coach, I will use democratic and situational leadership styles to encourage athletes to express their ideas and concerns. The situational leadership model will enable me to provide guidance based on the prevailing conditions (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). I will be able to decide the situations that require athletes to have collaborative discussions and the ones that need punitive measures. I will always communicate my ideas during meetings and sports events. A coach serves as a mentor and advisor, and hence I will inform the athletes I am willing to listen to their problems (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). Being available and engaged will provide me with an opportunity to influence the athletes positively.
I will establish and nurture great relationships with players. To gain the athletes’ trust, I will show genuine interest in team-related issues. For instance, I will remember the athletes’ passions and celebrate their birthdays. A genuine interest can enhance game strategy, practice, and team bonding (Davis et al., 2019). Additionally, I will build the athletes’ skills through positive support and encouragement. This strategy will enable them to realize their goals and support the team. Instead of celebrating the athletes’ every aspect of accomplishment, I will acknowledge their strengths and describe how they can improve their weaknesses (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). My focus will be on building their confidence and interpersonal skills on and off the field. As a result, the athletes will find their inner motivations and improve their skills without my assistance. Self-motivated athletes can tackle challenges and focus on excellence. As a coach, I will trust the athletes’ decisions and offer guidance when they deviate from their goals. I will host fun activities during the weekends to connect with athletes outside the usual settings. This approach will make me approachable to the athletes.
Effective management of relationships contributes to positive coaching. Athletes who have beneficial relationships with their coaches are likely to be motivated to achieve their goals. This unique relationship enhances inclusivity, which comforts, supports, and satisfies athletes, resulting in improved sports experience and performance (Davis et al., 2019). The coach-athlete relationship enhances closeness, commitment, and complementarity. Closeness refers to the emotional connection between a coach and the athletes (Davis et al., 2019). It is reflected in trust, respect, and dignity. Commitment refers to the coach’s and athletes’ motivation to maintain a close relationship over a long time (Davis et al., 2019). A coach who effectively manages relationships with athletes is likely to realize responsive, relaxed, and friendly interactions. Practical interrelationships enhance interconnection between the coach’s and athletes’ perceptions of competitive sports (Davis et al., 2019). For example, an athlete may develop positive attitudes toward the coach’s and other teammates’ behaviors. When managing relationships, coaches should elicit open and honest communication strategies to allow athletes to share ideas. Improved communication enhances interpersonal outcomes such as relationship satisfaction and intrapersonal factors like sports satisfaction and motivation (Davis et al., 2019). One of the effects of an effective coach-athlete relationship is conflict management. Instead of providing derisive comments about athletes’ performance, an effective coach identifies, discusses, resolves, and monitors disagreement areas (Davis et al., 2019). As a result, athletes’ self-efficacy beliefs improve.
Athletes whose coaches have positive conflict management strategies are likely to feel valued and respected. They will stop associating their poor performance with their abilities (Kavanagh et al., 2017). Consequently, athletes will develop a relationship that is rewarding, active, and ambitious. Effective coach-athlete relationships encourage athletes to stay in a team. Besides, athletes will learn their coach’s expectations, rules, and roles (Davis et al., 2019). Open communication enables athletes to develop a shared mindset. Social networks that arise from coach-athlete communication creates opportunities to develop long-lasting bonds with significant members, such as managers, parents, friends, and training squad (Davis et al., 2019). Athletes under such a system are likely to be in touch with reality. Athletes who have high commitment levels with their coach are likely to use motivational strategies to provide reasons to stay in the current team. The athletes will be assured they have an adequate social support system (Davis et al., 2019). Consequently, the athletes are likely to support each other during crises.
Coaches who value their athletes understand that physical, mental, and psychological well-being is imperative in sports performance. They focus on developing the athletes’ physical skills and overcome difficulties like injuries (Davis et al., 2019). Athletes’ physical and psychosocial development relies on the coach’s leadership skills. High-quality coach-athlete relationships can enhance athletes’ cognitive performance (Davis et al., 2018). Such athletes are likely to report improved attention, working memory, and executive function.
Athletes encounter stressors such as performance associated with competitive sport. An improved coach-athlete relationship can enhance athletes’ abilities to overcome stressful conditions. Conversely, a coach who has controlling behaviors is likely to raise athletes’ stress and burnout levels (Davis et al., 2018). Coaches who focus on winning instead of athletes are likely to note reduced accomplishments. A great coach should meet athletes’ psychological needs and recognize their need for structure and guidance (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). Adequate coach-athlete relationship balances between athletes’ independence and connection without making them feel alone and helpless. Great coaches support their athletes’ self-awareness, tolerance, and psychological flexibility (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). They perceive the athletes’ emotions correctly, enhance interpersonal interactions, and regulate emotional responses during disagreements. Instead of shouting at the athletes, great coaches soften their emotions to prevent negative emotional response and conflict escalation. Consequently, athletes will have low acute stress and exhaustion levels.
Effective relationship management enhances the coach’s and athletes’ perception of competitive sports and life. A coach will learn that controlling behaviors results in resistance, conflict, and distress (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). They learn that athletes can compete well when they are close to their coach and teammates. Coaches learn that power abuse can affect relationships with family members and athletes (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). As a result, they become emotionally intelligent, patient, and understanding to create a shared mindset. Athletes learn that interpersonal relationships are imperative to a team’s success. They learn to trust and support each other to enhance sports performance. Additionally, athletes discover that effective interpersonal relationships enables athletes to be aware of their strengths, gain perspective about their sports performance, and perceive adversity as an ongoing journey (Wachsmuth et al., 2017). Consequently, they learn how to improve social interactions, offer assistance, and show appreciation to their loved ones.
Improved interpersonal relationships enable athletes to develop help-seeking behaviors. Instead of keeping their emotional frustrations a secret and avoiding the stress-triggering events, they will seek advice from their coaches, friends, and family members (Kavanagh et al., 2017). This approach reduces emotional exhaustion and improves interpersonal relationships. Besides, a great coach teaches athletes to be role models. They learn that people monitor their moves, and thus, they will be responsible (Davis et al., 2019). Positive interpersonal relationships guide athletes and coaches to treat people with respect and dignity. Instead of judging others, they will focus on self-growth and improvement.
Overall, improved interpersonal relationships between coach and athletes can improve sports performance and success. A coach who focuses on the athletes’ needs realizes increased closeness, commitment, and complementarity. Athletes trust coaches who treat them with respect and dignity. As a result, they openly discuss their suggestions and concerns. Athletes learn how to communicate with and offer support to each other. Improved interpersonal relationships reduce physical injuries, emotional exhaustion, and psychological distress. A coach who is honest and communicate with the athletes discovers and prevents recurrences of conflicts. As a result, the athletes copy the coach’s behavior and become role models. They also develop positive attitudes, focus on their strengths, and improve their weaknesses.
References
Davis, L., Appleby, R., Davis, P., Wetherell, M., & Gustafsson, H. (2018). The role of coach-athlete relationship quality in team sport athletes’ psychophysiological exhaustion: implications for physical and cognitive performance. Journal of sports sciences , 36 (17), 1985-1992. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1429176
Davis, L., Jowett, S., & Tafvelin, S. (2019). Communication strategies: The fuel for quality coach-athlete relationships and athlete satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology , 10 , 2156. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02156
Kavanagh, E., Brown, L., & Jones, I. (2017). Elite athletes’ experience of coping with emotional abuse in the coach-athlete relationship. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology , 29 (4), 402-417. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2017.1298165
Thelwell, R. C., Wagstaff, C. R., Chapman, M. T., & Kenttä, G. (2017). Examining coaches’ perceptions of how their stress influences the coach-athlete relationship. Journal of Sports Sciences , 35 (19), 1928-1939. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1241422
