A Structural Model on the Determinants and Reactions to Athlete Dissatisfaction

Abstract

Anecdotal evidence indicates that collegiate athletes who are dissatisfied are more likely to transfer, quit, stage player mutinies, get the head coach fired, and engage in physical violence.Although the causes of satisfaction in sport have been addressed by a few researchers, there has been no empirical attention given to what occurs when an athlete is not satisfied. The purpose of the present study was to test a sport-specific model on personal and situational variables, determinant factors, and consequential reaction alternatives.Since the causes and consequences of job satisfaction-dissatisfaction have been popular topics for research in the field of industrial-organizational psychology, this literature was utilized to develop the basis for this investigation. Questionnaires were administered to 369 male and female Division I college soccer players. Structural equation modeling results demonstrated that the proposed model adequately fit the sample data. As predicted, numerous significant effects were indicated which linked personal and situational variables to both determinant factors and adaptive-maladaptive consequential alternatives. For example, discrepancies in coaching behaviors lead to dissatisfaction with coaches, which then leads to the use of maladaptive alternatives. This represents negative influences on the athletes' behavioral, psychological, and emotional well-being. Based upon the significant effects, implications for dissatisfied athletes, their coaches, support staff, and athletic administrators are presented.