Coach athlete relationships

Martin I. JonesBSc MSc PhD CPsychol CSci AFBPsS SFHEABASES accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (Psychology)HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist

Intended Learning Outcomes On successfully completing this week’s study you will be able to...

Define the core constituents of the coach-athlete relationship

Describe how theoretical knowledge has been applied to change the dyad

Manage self-learning, set and meet targets, manage time, and read extensively for information

Why do we study the coach athlete relationship?

http://www.theage.com.au/news/swimming/swim-coach-who-beat-daughter-faces-sanctions/2007/03/28/1174761567030.html

No (wo)man is an IslandWe are all socially connected and relatedness is a basic psychological need

Need to study relationships

Research shows that there are important cognitive, affective and behavioural consequences associated with effective and ineffective coach athlete relationships

An athlete who is committed and trusts her coach (cognition and affect) is likely to respond to her coaches instructions more readily (behaviour)

RECIPROCITY?

The coach-athlete relationship is not an add on to, or by product of, the coaching process . . . Instead it is the foundation of coaching

Jowett (2005)

Heart of coaching

“There is considerably less information on the psychology of coaching, particularly as it pertains to the personal and social development of young children”

Smoll, Smith, & Curtis, 1983 (p. 61)

Look at the date, is this still true?

Good coach Bad coach ?

In groups find an example of

a good coach athlete relationship and

a bad coach athlete relationship

What makes them good or

bad?

A focus on coaches behaviour?

Congruence HypothesisAthletes’ satisfaction is a function of the congruence between the leadership behaviour preferred by athletes and the actual leadership behaviour exhibited

Are they always the same thing? Preferred and perceived leadership

The mediational model

of coach leadershipCoaching Behaviours

Player Perceptionsand Recall

Player’s Evaluative Reaction

Coach’s perception of player

Coach Behaviours Players’ evaluative reactions

Player perception and recall

Coach perception of players’ attitudes

Individual difference variables Coaching goals/motives Behavioural intentions Perceived coaching norms & role conception Inferred athletes motives Self-monitoring, Sex

Individual difference variables Age, Sex, Perceived coaching norms Valence of coach behaviours Sport-specific achievement motives Competitive trait anxiety General & Sport self-esteem

Situational factors Nature of sport, Level of competition Practice vs. game, Previous success/failure Present game/practice outcomes Intra-team attraction

Coaches’ behaviours do not accurately reflect what goes on in the coach-athlete relationship

Jowett & Cockerill, 2002, 2003

A relationship is a characteristic of two individuals.

A relationship is that which goes on between two people and is made up of the combined interrelating of both of them.

This interrelating involves aspects other than just coaches’ behaviours

What drives people to form relationships with

other people?

What drives athletes to form relationships with their coaches

There is a mutual and inevitable interdependence

Athletes and coaches are motivated to form relationships to fulfil basic complementary needs,

To provide/receive training and instruction, and

To provide/receive support in the pursuit of excellence and improved performance.

Effectiveness and Success

Effectiveness relates to helpful caring relationships

Success relates to prize winning

Active breakFeel free to watch the video or leave the room

Effective and

unsuccessful

Effective and

successful

Ineffective and

unsuccessful

Ineffective and

successful

When would you want an effective but unsuccessful

relationship?

A coach-athlete relationship is defined as the situation in which coaches’ and athletes’ emotions, thoughts and behaviours are interdependent.

What makes a good coach-athlete relationship?

Lorimer & Jowett (2014)Sport typeCompetitive levelRelationship durationAgePersonalityGenderRelationship typeCultureCoach education

ClosenessCommitmentComplimentarity

Co-orientation

3 + 1c model

Closeness reflects an affective element

Commitment defines a long-term orientation

Complementarity Concerns co-operative behaviours

Co-orientationDimensions of co-oriented perspectives

Complementarity (behaviours) being at ease, responsive, ready and friendly during training

Closeness (feelings) Interpersonal likeness, trust, respect, appreciation

Commitment (cognitions) Committed to each other over time

Where did it come from?A series of qualitative case studies were conducted to explore coaches and athletes underlying reality about their athletic relationships.

Definition of two-person relationship (Kelley et al 1983)

Closeness (Berscheid et al., 1989a, 1989b), Commitment (Rosenblatt, 1977), Complementarity (Kiesler, 1997)

SatisfactionPhysical self conceptPassion for sportMotivationFear of failureBurnoutPerceived performance

Intrapersonal

Team cohesion

Collective efficacy

Positive motivational climate

Support

Reduced interpersonal conflict

Interpersonal

Typical

Coach Athlete

Andy Murray & Ivan Lendl

Atypical

Family

Seb Coe and Peter Coe

Romantic

Jo Pavey and Gavin Pavey

Educational

John Wooden

Correspondence

John McEnroe and Milos

Raonic

Find examples of coach athlete relationships

that are also husband and wife

Challenges?

Find examples of coach athlete relationships that are also father/ mother and son / daughter

Challenges?

Direct perspectiveMeta perspective

DIRECT PERCEPTION Athlete: I respect my coachCoach: I respect my athlete

META-PERCEPTION Athlete: My coach respects meCoach: My athlete respects me

CART-QCoach athlete relationship questionnaire

Dyad mapping

MaintenanceTrustFriendshipFamiliarityRealistic expectationsProlonged contactCommunication

A coach-athlete relationship is defined as the situation in which coaches’ and athletes’ emotions, thoughts and behaviours are interdependent.

Martin I. JonesBSc MSc PhD CPsychol CSci AFBPsS SFHEA

BASES accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (Psychology)HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist

E: m.i.jones@exeter Tw: @drmijones