Athlete-coach relationships: impact on motivation, cohesion, and satisfaction in Injibara Ketema Football Club
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v82.118316Keywords:
Coach-athlete relationship, football, satisfaction, sports motivation, team cohesionAbstract
Introduction: The athlete-coach relationship acted as a critical determinant of psychological dynamics in sports, yet mixed-methods research integrating motivation and cohesion within non-Western environments remained scarce.
Objective: This study assessed how the quality of the athlete-coach relationship influenced player motivation, team cohesion, and athletic satisfaction within the Injibara Ketema Football Club.
Methodology: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed where a complete census provided quantitative data via standardized relationship, motivation, and cohesion scales, while semi-structured interviews with coaching staff explained the quantitative trends.
Results: Quantitative findings revealed significant positive correlations between the athlete-coach bond and player satisfaction, team cohesion, and autonomous motivation. Descriptive analyses indicated high behavioral complementarity but moderate emotional closeness, showing that players maintained high intrinsic motivation despite lower competitive satisfaction scores.
Discussion: These findings contrasted with Western literature that often prioritizes emotional closeness, as this context demonstrated that functional complementarity, structured roles, and the pursuit of collective goals acted as the primary drivers of team stability and resilience, while role clarity served as a critical structural buffer.
Conclusions: Interventions aimed at optimizing team dynamics and athlete performance should prioritize the structured cultivation of functional role clarity and shared goals rather than the forced development of emotional proximity between coaches and players.
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