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Development and evaluation of a coach-athlete relationship intervention program
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Umeå School of Sport Sciences. School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Umeå School of Sport Sciences.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0839-3681
Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, UK and Tandem Performance Consulting, UK.
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2026 (English)In: Psychology of Sport And Exercise, ISSN 1469-0292, E-ISSN 1878-5476, Vol. 85, article id 103141Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a coach-athlete relationship intervention program. The intervention targeted improvements in relationship quality and individual and team outcomes over time (i.e., thriving, basic psychological need satisfaction, and collective efficacy). Using a nonrandomized cluster-controlled trial design and mixed methods evaluation, 16 sports teams (45 coaches, 328 athletes) were assigned to an intervention or a no-training control condition. Following baseline assessments, intervention teams participated in two workshops, four weeks apart and coaches and athletes were encouraged to apply strategies taught during practice and complete bi-weekly diary logs. Follow-up assessments were completed at 4, 8 and 16 weeks post baseline. Focus groups were held after follow up to evaluate feasibility. Intervention effects were assessed using two-level growth models, with athletes nested within teams. Overall, no significant intervention effects were found over time for coaches or athletes' perceptions of relationship quality, or for athlete outcomes of thriving and collective efficacy. However, a significant decrease in relatedness was observed in athletes' basic psychological need satisfaction. Content analysis of focus group interviews highlighted participants' experiences of the intervention's relevance, delivery and implementation into sport practice. While participants emphasized the importance of the intervention's content, they also forwarded suggestions to improve delivery and transfer of skills into their daily sport practice. These insights shed light on potential reasons for the limited quantitative effects. While the current intervention did not produce significant effects, the study lays important groundwork for future research aiming to strengthen the coach-athlete relationship.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. Vol. 85, article id 103141
Keywords [en]
Sport coaching, Coach educationm Communication, Mixed-methods research
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-252741DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103141Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105036837105OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-252741DiVA, id: diva2:2056828
Funder
Swedish National Centre for Research in SportsRiksidrottsförbundetUmeå UniversityAvailable from: 2026-04-30 Created: 2026-04-30 Last updated: 2026-05-04Bibliographically approved

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Davis, LouiseSommer, MariusEkelund, RebeckaMårs, Tove

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