Consequences of leadership styles have become a noteworthy area of research for sport psychology researchers. However, there is scant research on the concept of authentic leadership. To date, research in sport has demonstrated that authentic leadership is associated with positive outcomes for athletes such as satisfaction, commitment, trust and perceptions of choice. In this study, we examined whether athletes’ perceptions of coach authentic leadership were associated with their commitment and enjoyment and whether trust in coach and perceived autonomy mediated these relationships. Participants were 435 athletes (female = 211) from team (e.g. football, hockey; n = 338) and individual sports (e.g. boxing, swimming; n = 97) who completed questionnaires about perceived authentic leadership of their coach, perceived autonomy and trust in their coach and their enjoyment and commitment. Structural equation modelling revealed that athletes’ perceptions of their coach authentic leadership were positively related to their enjoyment and commitment and these relationships were mediated by perceived autonomy and trust. The findings suggest that authentic leadership in coaches may facilitate enjoyment and commitment in athletes, and this may occur via autonomy and trust.

Although high-risk sport participants are typically considered a homogenous risk-taking population, attitudes to risk within the high-risk domain can vary considerably. As no validated measure allows researchers to assess risk taking within this domain, we validated the Risk Taking Inventory (RTI) for high-risk sport across four studies. The RTI comprises seven items across two factors: deliberate risk taking and precautionary behaviors. In Study 1 (n = 341), the inventory was refined and tested via a confirmatory factor analysis used in an exploratory fashion. The subsequent three studies confirmed the RTI’s good model–data fit via three further separate confirmatory factor analyses. In Study 2 (n = 518) and in Study 3 (n = 290), concurrent validity was also confirmed via associations with other related traits (sensation seeking, behavioral activation, behavioral inhibition, impulsivity, self-esteem, extraversion, and conscientiousness). In Study 4 (n = 365), predictive validity was confirmed via associations with mean accidents and mean close calls in the high-risk domain. Finally, in Study 4, the self-report version of the inventory was significantly associated with an informant version of the inventory. The measure will allow researchers and practitioners to investigate risk taking as a variable that is conceptually distinct from participation in a high-risk sport.

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Supported by a wealth of research, current UK Government policy emphasises the important role of sport in delivering social outcomes. What is not considered in the current policy and academia are the logically plausible adverse associations that would follow when sport is shown to lack integrity, an increasing phenomenon nowadays. If sport is found to lack integrity, then does this alter people's perceptions and their relationship with it? In this study,we aim to answer this question by examining people's views on the lack of integrity in sport and their propensity to participate, volunteer and spectate sport in the UK context. Data collected through 18 focus groups reveal a perceived 'normalisation' of the lack of integrity in sport and an overall belief that sport cannot manage its integrity. The findings suggest that paradoxically, even though sport is viewed as untrustworthy, people's propensity to participate, spectate and volunteer in sport remains unchanged. Consequently, even though sport is viewed as corrupt and unable to improve, its perceived role as a mechanism for social outcomes appears to remain unaffected, creating a potentially vicious circle in which sport has little to no pressing urgency or strong motivation to protect its integrity.

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AcknowledgementsWe acknowledge financial support from the British Academy: Grant number SG171050. Although dissemination is encouraged by the funder they played no part in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the article for publication.

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