Effects of a Mentor Program for Coaches on the Coach-Athlete Relationship

Abstract

The present study was designed to explore the effects of a one-year coach education program on coaches’ perceptions of their communication skills and co-orientation of their coach-athlete relationships. The study was designed with an experimental group and a control group. The experiment group consisted of 66 coaches (and 295 athletes) who received formal mentoring and the control group consisted of 41 coaches (and 148 athletes) who did not receive any mentoring. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling with autoregressive cross-lagged analysis. Results from the self-reported questionnaire at pre-test and post-test showed that the reciprocity of the coach-athlete relationships was not statistically significant. However, coaches’ experience of change in attention skills from the pre-test to the post-test positively predicted changes in their own perception of the coach-athlete relationship, whereas this association was not significant in the athletes’ perceptions. Moreover, the coach education programme increased coaches’ perception of their relational bonds with their athletes, but this increase did not correspond with an increase in athletes’ perception of the relational bonds with their coach. Practical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed in light of these findings.

"The Role of Coach-Athlete Relationship in Enhancing Team Sport Performance: A Multi-Sport Perspective"

“…The research conducted by Haugan et al (2021) offers vital support and a comparative viewpoint to the first study, elucidating the importance of mentoring in the coach-athlete interaction. Both studies emphasize the coach's position as a mentor as a crucial element of the coach-athlete interaction.…”

The mediating roles of pre-competitive coping and affective states in the relationships between coach-athlete relationship, satisfaction and attainment of achievement goals

“…The mediating roles of pre-competitive coping and affective states in the relationships between coach-athlete relationship, satisfaction and attainment of achievement goals Coach-athlete relationship (CAR) has been linked to a wide range of variables connected to performance and athletes' wellbeing, such as: affects, coping and sports satisfaction (Davis & Jowett, 2014;González-García et al, 2022;Haugan et al, 2021;Simons & Bird, 2022).…”

“…Hence, this theoretical construct has attracted the attention of the coaching research within the last two decades (Haugan et al, 2021;Jowett & Cockerill, 2003;Jowett & Ntoumanis, 2004;Simons & Bird, 2022). The 3C is a prominent model examining CAR and is mainly focused on the dynamic interrelations between the coach and athletes and their mutual influence (Jowett & Cockerill, 2003).…”

Place of residence and coach-athlete relationship predict drop-out from competitive cross-country skiing

“…However, there is an expectation among athletes that their coaches possess abilities to help promote the development of their needed skills and capacities in their sports ( 25 ). Thus, coaches in sport are responsible for establishing effective helping relationships with their athletes that ultimately grow their talents towards their ambitions ( 26 ). To succed in developing their athletes coaches need to have competencies that enable them to build strong coach-athlete relationships.…”