Coach-Athlete Relationship: A Motivational Model

coach-Athlete Relationship (bob Bowman and Michael Phelps)

Coach-Athlete Relationship: Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps

Over the years, intense focus on sports has been on the coach -- athlete relationships and their link to athlete performance. Along the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation cognitive evaluation theory, there is a hierarchical model of motivational sequence proposed in developing coaches' personal orientation for coaching. The focus culminates the context within which they operate while making their perceptions of behavior and motivation of athletes and influencing component of coaching outcomes. The paper identifies personality and social processes aimed at determining favorable coaching behaviors. This study focuses on the coach -- athlete relationship model presented by Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps whilst describing how coaches can influence the motivation of their athletes.

The Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps case shows that coaches' behaviors take the autonomy-supportive form of behaviors in providing involvement structure (Mageau & Vallerand, 2003). The implications include having beneficial impacts to needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness of athletes. In turn, the concept nurtures athletes' self-determined extrinsic motivation types and intrinsic motivation. The coach reviews the autonomy-supportive behaviors and instruments (Slobounov, 2008). The focus also describes psychological processes upon which the coaching behaviors influence the self-determined extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for athletes. Minimal domains befit the sports of inducing interest, excitement and enjoyment among participants (Armour, 2014).

People regularly engaging in the sport are aware of the complete immersion of activities and the need to bask in intrinsic enjoyment of one's actions. The Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps relationship emphasizes the love of the sport, and intense sensations felt while engaging in the respective activity. Besides the obvious consequences of intrinsic motivation, active engagement in sports through fun and enjoyment offers important determinants to sports performance and persistence (Beauchamp & Eys, 2014).

There are several reasons explaining the existing model for Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps. A complete coaching behavior understanding is based on the dichotomy for controlling above autonomy-supportive techniques as presented in previous models (Burg, 2008). Here, the participants articulate the interpretation of autonomy supportive and focus on identifying behavior linked to such interpersonal style. The alternative is some coaches' behaviors present athletes' self-determined extrinsic and intrinsic motivation while mediating athletes' perceptions of competence and the model suggested (Hopker & Jobson, 2013). The focus also dwells on the autonomy and relatedness perceptions. Lastly, research within various education and parenting fields offers support to the relevance of behaviors that are autonomy-supportive to motivating subordinates (such as athletes. The approach also sheds light on viable factors influencing autonomy-supportive behaviors among people (Weinberg & Gould, 2011).

The existing review integrates the literature through present motivational models for coach -- athlete clarification of the autonomy support construct. The variants underline the significance of autonomy, relatedness, and competence need to achieve self-determined extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. The variation also offers increased research avenues through extension of significant motivational models (Papaioannou & Hackfort, 2014).

Psychological control allows for the formation of guilt-inducing criticisms coupled with controlling statements in Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps' case. The psychological control makes acceptance and love contingent to the athlete behaviors and thoughts. Many coaches use psychological control, genuine feelings, and athletes' thoughts to enhance emotional bonds. The outcome is that there is relinquished autonomy within the relationship (Nelson, Groom & Potrac, 2014). In Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps literature, all manipulation and exploitation forms in the relationship such as guilt induction and love withdrawal coupled with negative and affect-laden criticisms, are detrimental to athlete's well-being. The reason is that they represent insidious control forms where psychological control intrudes and inhibits on psychological development and jeopardizes on self-determined extrinsic and intrinsic motivation (USA Track & Field. 2014).

One of the integral goals in nomological network building includes ensuring that all relevant concept constructs within the study are identified (Soderman, 2012). To the end, there are various qualitative-based research assessments that can provide evidence of the content and prevalence of closeness, complementarity, co-orientation, and commitment constructs in coach-athlete relationships. These evaluations reveal the potential antecedents for communication, social support, and relationship rules in moderating inputs of gender, race, in typical and atypical relationships. The assessment also negotiates on dependent variables such as conflict and satisfaction associated with coach-athlete relationships (Flores, 2013).

From the illustration, the coach-athlete relationship quality and transformational leadership work together to deliver on positive athlete outcomes along the athletic sports. Coaches practicing in youth sports contexts have the ability of facilitating positive developmental outcomes between team success and failure (Potrac, Gilbert & Denison, 2013). This is achieved through by taking advantage of the natural occurrences of teachable moments. One of the appropriate ways of performing the task is through engaging individual consideration, positive role modeling, and intellectual stimulation. Other inputs include addition of facilitative and positive developments in coach-athlete relationships where appropriate. Future coach information sharing programs should be inclusive of relevant intrapersonal skills allowing athletes and the coaches engage in beneficial behaviors (Rodriguez, 2008).