Impact of the Coach–Athlete–Parent Triad on Coaches’ Emotional Labor, Job Satisfaction, and Commitment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a conceptual model designed to investigate the relationships between the quality of the coach–athlete–parent (C-A-P) triad, which was dichotomized into positive and negative processes, emotional labor strategies, and job-related attitudes. Youth basketball coaches in China ( n = 218) were invited to participate in an online survey. Cross-sectional data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and latent variable structural equation modeling. The results indicated that a positive C-A-P process was negatively associated with surface acting and positively associated with genuine expression, whereas a negative C-A-P process exhibited exactly the opposite relationships. Furthermore, a positive C-A-P process had a positive direct effect on job satisfaction and an indirect negative effect through surface acting. On the other hand, a negative C-A-P process was negatively associated with occupational commitment both directly and indirectly through genuine expression. The findings, interpreted through the lens of job demand–resources and affective events theories, call for increasing attention to the emotional labor and well-being of youth sports coaches.