The goal of this study is to understand how directly observed coach behaviors can influence athletes’ confidence in themselves and in the coach, as well as the shared confidence of their teams. To do this, we are attending practices of a variety of NCAA Division I, II, and III sports to observe the coaches and measure athletes’ efficacy beliefs with self-report questionnaires. We then code the coaches’ behaviors using an observational coding system, which quantifies the various behaviors of interest, such as feedback, autonomy support, and motivational climate. Understanding confidence in sport is important for coaches, players, and administrators, especially considering its impact on team performance and the effort players put into succeeding. Basing the research on objective coach behaviors can help in the development of more effective coach interventions and coach education, and possibly extend to other settings like the workplace or the military.
Fun Fact
This is the first known study to utilize directly observed coaching behaviors when examining this relationship between coach behaviors and athlete efficacy beliefs.