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.