Title: The Impact of the Coach-Athlete Relationship on Confidence and Passion in Division I NCAA Athletes

Program: Kinesiology MS

Committee Chair: Eric Martin

Committee: Eric Martin, Mandy Kirkham, Scott Moorcroft

Abstract: Introduction: Reaching the Division I NCAA level takes the proper physical skill, as well as the vital mental skills and guidance to endure and overcome regular hardships and adversity. One resource that athletes can draw from is their relationship with their coach. Specifically, the coach-athlete relationship can be measured through the trust between the pair (closeness), mutual understanding (commitment), corresponding goals (complementarity), and congruent feelings, thoughts, and behaviors (co-orientation; Jowett & Shanmugam, 2016). In addition to having a healthy and supportive coach-athlete relationship, confidence and passion are two important mental skills that can impact an athlete’s feelings towards their sport and achievement. Confidence is an essential element to sport, giving an athlete a general self-belief in their ability to perform their sport successfully, while also being crucial in high pressure situations where self-doubt and fear may become present. Passion is the overall desire to partake in an activity, developing from a place of enjoyment and love for the activity. Passion is key when faced with hardships or setbacks, yet passion can quickly become negative if the feeling manifests obsessively, rather than harmoniously. Purposes: The first purpose of this study is to measure the quality of the coach-athlete relationship, confidence levels, and levels of harmonious and obsessive passion among Division I NCAA athletes. The second purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the coach-athlete relationship, confidence, and passion among Division I NCAA athletes. Methods: 226 Division I NCAA athletes completed surveys that included the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q, Jowett and Ntoumanis, 2004; Appendix I), the Trait-Sport Confidence Inventory (TSCI, Vealey, 1986; Appendix II), and the Passion Scale (Vallerand et al., 2003; Appendix III). Statistical Analysis: We reported means and standard deviations of the CART-Q, TSCI, and Passion Scale. Additionally, to test group differences between gender, sport type, and grade, we ran a series of MANOVA analyses. Finally, we ran a multivariate multiple regression analysis to analyze if the subdimensions of the coach-athlete relationship predicted confidence and passion. Results: Athletes reported high scores on the CART-Q and each subscale, as well as high levels of confidence and harmonious passion and moderate levels of obsessive passion. Additionally, we found that each subscale of the CART-Q was predictive of athletes’ confidence levels and harmonious passion, while unrelated to obsessive passion. Discussion: In conclusion, fostering high quality coach-athlete relationships can impact crucial psychological elements, enhancing athletes’ confidence and promoting more adaptive forms of motivation, like harmonious passion.