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Coaching efficacy and its reflected behaviors can influence athletes' attitudes and behaviors. In order to measure coaching efficacy and study its effects, the coaches', as well as the athlete's, perceptions of the coaches' efficacy are crucial to understanding the relationship. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how similarly coaches and athletes perceive the coach s efficacy based on data from male and female coaches and athletes in a variety of team and individual sports. The current study investigated ratings of coaches and their athletes on the Coaching Efficacy Scale. Coaches (n = 12) and athletes (n = 177) were recruited from several Southwestern universities and community colleges to participate in this study. Results indicated that there is a difference between coaches' ratings of themselves and athletes' ratings of their coaches, with coaches reporting higher levels of efficacy than athletes perceive. These results underscore the need to further understand the relationship between coaches' and athletes' perceptions, and to explore the possible impact of athlete perceptions of their coach on performance. Future research should consider assessing this relationship along with actual coach behaviors.
Coaches and athletes have a unique relationship in which coaches can influence athletes' behaviors, performances, and psychological and emotional well beings through their own actions and behaviors (Horn, 2002). Many different factors of coaches' behaviors can affect their athletes' performances and satisfaction such as how coaches communicate when delivering instructions or responding to athletes' performances, how approachable they are, and how trustworthy they are believed to be (Smoli & Smith, 1989; Kenow & Williams, 1999; Boardley, Kavussanu, & Ring, 2008; Horn, 2002). In particular, a coach's own perceptions of his or her coaching ability has been found to impact his or her athletes, a concept defined as coaching efficacy (Feltz, Chase, Mortiz, & Sullivan, 1999; Kenow & Williams, 1992,1999). However, coaches' perceptions may be less important than that of athletes' perceptions of their coach. Thus, the current study seeks to compare coaches' and their athletes' perceptions of the coaches' coaching efficacy.
Coaching Efficacy
Coaching efficacy is the "extent to which coaches believe they have the capacity to affect the learning and performance of their athletes," and these performances include psychological, attitudinal, and teamwork skills of athletes (Feltz et al., 1999,...