Athletes' social identities shape their views of coaches' motivational styles and sport experiences.

What is it about?

This study examines how different aspects of an athlete's identity, like gender, race, and the level of sports they play, influence how they perceive their coach's approach and their own satisfaction versus frustration. Results showed that Black male athletes had the most negative perceptions of their coaches and sport experiences, which are consistent with past research. The results for Black female athletes’ more positive perceptions of their coaches and sport experiences compared to other gender by race subgroups are surprising. The assumptions of the intersectional framework and research did not hold in this study regarding the dominance of maleness (i.e., masculinity) and Whiteness and marginalization of femaleness (i.e., femininity) and other racial/ethnic identities in sport. Additionally, the findings highlight differences between high school and college athletes' perceptions, pointing out the importance of tailoring support for athletes transitioning to higher levels.

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In summary, this study adopts an intersectional lens to reveal how athletes' identities influence their views of coaching behaviors and sport experiences. This evidence demonstrates coaches must consider individual differences to create motivational climates that meet all athletes' needs. Overall, while differences along identity lines were expected, the intersectional nature of the study provides a more nuanced understanding of how motivational climates are interpreted. The confluence of gender, race, and sport level led to some novel insights that advance this literature and have important implications for coaches. The study makes a strong case that motivational approaches cannot be one-dimensional but should consider multiple diverse identities together.

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