Optimizing coach–athlete relationships: How team identification, emotional intelligence, and age influence the effects of perceived coach behavior

Objective Although coach–athlete relationships (CAR) have been widely studied, less is known about how perceived coach behavior (PCB) operates through group-based identity processes and how individual emotion regulation and developmental factors shape this mechanism. Drawing on Social Identity Theory and Emotion Regulation Theory, this study examined a dual-moderated mediation model in which team identification (TI) mediates the association between PCB and CAR, with emotional intelligence (EI) and age defining key boundary conditions. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 581 athletes from provincial-level competitive sports teams in China. Results Positive coaching behaviors strengthened CAR indirectly by enhancing athletes’ team identification, whereas autocratic behavior undermined this relationship by weakening TI. Moreover, EI moderated the TI–CAR pathway, such that TI was a stronger predictor of CAR among athletes with lower EI. This moderating effect was further conditioned by age, remaining significant among younger athletes but diminishing and becoming non-significant among older athletes. Conclusion These findings advance research on coach–athlete relationships by integrating group-based identity processes with individual emotion regulation and developmental perspectives. From a practical perspective, the results suggest that fostering team identity may be particularly effective for younger or lower-EI athletes, whereas more individualized leadership and communication strategies may be more appropriate for older or emotionally intelligent athletes.