Abstract
The study aimed to analyze the relationship between athletes' perceptions of athlete leadership quality, team identification, inside sacrifice, and performance. A total of 299 players of collective sports (soccer, beach soccer, basketball, volleyball; Mage 19.05, SD = 5.10) participated through a cross-sectional design survey. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results highlight the positive relationships between perceived quality of athlete leaders, inside sacrifice, and perceived performance, and between inside sacrifice and perceived performance. Furthermore, inside sacrifice perceived by the athletes was a positive mediator between perceived athlete leadership quality and perceived performance. Also, team identification was a positive mediator in the association between inside sacrifice and perceived performance. These findings extend knowledge about the athlete leadership quality context. These results can also be useful for further research and implications in team sports' performance, as coaches and sports psychologists would have more information about their teams' perceptions of leadership quality to achieve positive outcomes in players' inside sacrifice and performance. The findings also highlight the importance of developing team identification to improve the relationships between perceived athlete leadership quality, inside sacrifice, and perceived performance.
Highlights
Coaches, players, and sports psychologists recognize the importance of leading athletes within a team
According to findings in previous studies, we propose that team identification will mediate the relationship between perceived athlete leadership quality and players’ inside sacrifice (Hypothesis 5a), and conjointly with players’ reported inside sacrifice, they will mediate the relationship between perceived athlete leadership quality and perceived performance (Hypothesis 5b)
This research reveals the benefits of perceived athlete leadership quality, represented by inside sacrifice and perceived performance
Summary
Players, and sports psychologists recognize the importance of leading athletes within a team. Mourinho (2019), one of the best soccer coaches in the last few years said: “when you have them (i.e., team leaders), your team is one step ahead.” This quote by Jose Mourinho points out the importance for some coaches of building a good workgroup to promote good athlete leadership in the team. The quality of athletes’ leadership has been defined as that player leaders who fulfills well his or her specific role, who develop an impact on team functioning and are social well-accepted by teammates (Fransen et al, 2014). Such leadership quality has been related to the leader’s effectiveness (Fransen et al, 2017)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
