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The present study explored whether there are fundamental differences in how athletes from team and individual sports view the quality of the relationship with their coach. A total of 699 athletes from team (N = 199) and individual (N = 500) sports completed the direct (Jowett & Ntoumanis, 2004) and meta (Jowett, 2009) perspective versions of the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q). The CART-Q measures perceptions of closeness, commitment, and complementarity (3 Cs) within the coach-athlete relationship. Multi-group mean and covariance structure (MACS) analyses indicated that a 3 first order factor model representing the 3Cs was invariant across the two groups of team and individual sport performers. Latent mean differences between the groups suggested that individual athletes felt both closer and more committed to their coach. Furthermore, athletes who performed in individual sports also perceived that their coach felt closer, more committed, and complementary than athletes who performed in team sports.
Recent years have witnessed a growth in the body of evidence which demonstrates the importance of the role played by the coach-athlete relationship in sport (Jowett & Poczwardowski, 2007). LyIe (1999) explained that this relationship is at the very heart of coaching and that coaches who fail to acknowledge the importance of it risk not developing their athletes to their full potential. Jowett (2005) supported this view in arguing that "The coach-athlete relationship is not an add-on to, or by-product of, the coaching process... instead it is the foundation of coaching" (p. 412). Related research thus far, however, has tended to focus on the content and correlates of relationship quality. There therefore remains a gap in the literature regarding the role of situational factors. The present study contributes to filling this gap in the literature through comparing the perceptions of athletes from team and individual sports regarding the quality of their relationship with the coach. The significance of this study lies largely in its practical implications as it can supply important information for sport managers (including coaches) and administrators, as well as performance directors to help them promote effective relationships.
The coach-athlete relationship has been defined as "...the situation in which coaches' and athletes' emotions, thoughts, and behaviors are mutually and causally inter-connected" (Jowett & Ntoumanis, 2004, p. 245). This definition highlights the bi-directional...