Mutuality in a coached adult sport team: the masters team sport model of interdependence

Abstract

ABSTRACT Coach-athlete relationships are an important factor influencing sport experiences. Research has focused on understanding relational approaches to coaching Masters athletes primarily as they are applied to individual-sport athletes. This study explored relational coaching strategies within a Masters all-women team context, the nature of dyadic relationships between a coach and each team member, and interdependence in the broader team. We employed multiple semi-structured interviews with 11 competitive Masters synchronised skaters (MSks) and their coach, and in-person observations over the course of a season. Following interpretative phenomenological analyses, we found interdependence extended beyond the coach-athlete dyad plane, that the coach engaged directly and indirectly in two other social-relational planes to foster mutuality in the team, and that MSks cultivated interdependence on their own. In light of the inadequacy of prevalent coach-athlete models to account for these complexities, we introduce the Masters Team Sport Model of Interdependence: a comprehensive model of mutual interdependence accounting for coach-athlete dyads, coach-team interactions, and mutual relationships amongst MSks.