Communication Research Reports · 2015 · 48 citations · 37 references
Researchers have advocated for the exploration of communicative and psychological aspects of athlete-coach relationships associated with positive outcomes for athletes such as satisfaction. A particularly salient construct within literature that leads to satisfaction across contexts is receiving social support. This study examined 216 athletes’ reports of social support (i.e., tangible, informational, emotional, and esteem) received from head coaches, as well as their satisfaction with coaches and sport experiences. Results indicated that linear combinations of social support received from head coaches predicted athletes’ satisfaction with coaches and sport experiences. Specifically, informational, emotional, and esteem support accounted for unique variance in athletes’ satisfaction with coaches, whereas informational and emotional support accounted for unique variance in athletes’ satisfaction with sport experiences. Mediation tests revealed that the relationships between receiving social support and satisfaction with sport experiences were mediated by athletes’ satisfaction with coaches. These findings have implications for the continued examination of prosocial athlete-coach communication.
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