Building successful student-athlete coach relationships: examining coaching practices and commitment to the coach

In this study we utilized the concept of commitment to explain the impact of coaching practices on student-athlete’s behaviour. We examined the impact of commitment to the coach on the coaching outcome of in-role behaviour, and the influence of coaching practices, of information sharing, training, and encouraging teamwork, on the formation of relationships. We adopted measures from the organizational behaviour literature and surveyed student-athletes at two universities in Canada. The sample included data from 165 student-athletes from two universities. Results from structural equation modeling indicate support for the effect of coaching practices on commitment to the coach. Results also support the effect of commitment to the coach on the student-athletes’ role behaviour and performance. By showing that coaching practices impact commitment to the coach, and that commitment to the coach impacts student-athlete role behaviour and performance, the findings have important implications for a better understanding of the determinants of coaches’ and athletes’ performance. The managerial significance of this research rests in the insight provided into how coaching practices influence athlete’s behaviour through commitment to the coach. This study contributes to the literature on coach-athlete relationship within universities and colleges by applying the concept of commitment to the coach. This helps diversity research approaches to understanding coach-athlete relationships and extends prior research on commitment by looking at the context of the relationship between the student-athlete and their coach.