The role of life purpose and passion for coaching in subjective well-being of sport coaches

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the role of purpose in life in coaches’ subjective happiness and life satisfaction and the role of harmonious and obsessive work passions in these relationships. Collegiate coaches (N = 379) completed questionnaires assessing sense of purpose in life (awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose), passion for coaching (harmonious, obsessive), and subjective well-being (subjective happiness, life satisfaction). Structural equation modelling showed that awareness of purpose was a positive direct predictor of subjective happiness and life satisfaction. Positive indirect relationships through harmonious passion for coaching were found between awareness of purpose and both measures of subjective well-being and between awakening to purpose and life satisfaction. Opposing indirect relationships through harmonious and obsessive work passions were found between awakening to purpose and subjective happiness. Altruistic purpose, on the other hand, was not a significant predictor of passions for work and subjective well-being. Structural invariance was tested across gender (male, female), Division (I, III), and position (head coach, assistant coaches), showing only a few differences across gender and position. Overall, findings highlight the importance of life purpose in strengthening coaches’ harmonious passion for coaching and their subjective well-being.