The Relationship between Coaching Behavior and Athlete Burnout: Mediating Effects of Communication and the Coach-Athlete Relationship.

Hunhyuk Choi,Yunduk Jeong,Suk-Kyu Kim

doi:10.3390/ijerph17228618

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between perceived coaching behavior (autonomy-supportive and controlling), communication, coach–athlete relationship, and athlete burnout. The study participants comprised 347 Korean active collegiate athletes from 10 sports. The results of the final model indicated that autonomy-supportive coaching was positively related to communication, whereas controlling coaching was negatively related to communication. Communication was positively related to coach–athlete relationship and was negatively related to athlete burnout. Autonomy-supportive coaching was significantly related to both the coach–athlete relationship (positively) and athlete burnout (negatively), whereas controlling coaching was only related to athlete burnout (positively). Coach–athlete relationship was negatively related to athlete burnout. Significant indirect effects were observed. The bootstrapping results indicated that the relationship between autonomy-supportive and athlete burnout was mediated by team communication and the coach–athlete relationship. The study findings enhance our current understanding of the relationships between perceived coaching behavior and athlete burnout and shed light on the important roles of team communication and the coach–athlete relationship in the relationship.

Highlights

Athletes can experience severe or excessive stress in a sports environment
Correlation estimation showed that autonomy-supportive coaching was negatively correlated with controlling coaching (r = −0.37), while it was positively associated with communication (r = 0.53) and the coach–athlete relationship (r = 0.74)
Communication had a positive correlation with the coach–athlete relationship (r = 0.55) but showed a negative correlation with athlete burnout (r = −0.48), and the coach–athlete relationship showed a negative correlation with athlete burnout (r = −0.60)

Summary

Introduction

Athletes can experience severe or excessive stress in a sports environment. In recognition of the importance of athlete burnout in sports situations, [1] carried out a specific reconceptualization of burnout and developed the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) to measure three dimensions of burnout in sports situations: emotional and physical exhaustion, sport devaluation, and a reduced sense of accomplishment. The development of the ABQ has contributed significantly to the development of research on burnout among athletes. Conflicts between coaches and athletes and between team members or colleagues may be manifested as symptoms, such as poor athletic performance, dropout [2], and athlete burnout [1,3]. The levels of control and autonomy support in coaching behaviors have been studied from a motivational perspective to predict athlete burnout through psychological needs and motivational regulations [4]. Davis et al [5] emphasized the important role social factors play in preventing athlete burnout, and Quested and Duda [6] reported that athletes are likely to

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