What is it about?
Conflict is natural to occur in any kind of relationship. This paper specifically looks at the topics and characteristics of coach-athlete conflict, as well as it examines coaches and athletes' thoughts, emotions and behaviours that they perceive and experience during times of conflict.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
The coach-athlete relationship is central to effective coaching. A positive relationship characterised by trust, respect, commitment and collaboration has been linked to sport development, performance satisfaction as well as coaches and athletes' well-being (e.g., vitality). However, conflict may contribute to a decline of coach-athlete relationship quality and as such promote negative experiences of sport participants (e.g., ill-being, performance stagnation). The current paper identified 1) reasons for conflict to take place as well as 2) functional and dysfunctional responses of coaches and athletes to conflict. The findings may therefore support sport participants in their efforts to prevent or constructively manage interpersonal disagreements.
Perspectives
To me the topic of interpersonal conflict is hugely important - not just within the setting of coach-athlete relationships. While conflicts are often perceived as negative and therefore are often avoided, it is important to understand that well-managed conflicts may actually contribute to the development of a relationship as well as of the individuals within it.
Dr Svenja Wachsmuth
Eberhard Karls Universitat Tubingen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: On understanding the nature of interpersonal conflict between coaches and athletes, Journal of Sports Sciences, January 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1428882.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
