Development and evaluation of a coach-athlete relationship intervention program

This study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a coach-athlete relationship intervention program. The intervention targeted improvements in relationship quality and individual and team outcomes over time (i.e., thriving, basic psychological need satisfaction, and collective efficacy). Using a nonrandomized cluster-controlled trial design and mixed methods evaluation, 16 sports teams (45 coaches, 328 athletes) were assigned to an intervention or a no-training control condition. Following baseline assessments, intervention teams participated in two workshops, four weeks apart and coaches and athletes were encouraged to apply strategies taught during practice and complete bi-weekly diary logs. Follow-up assessments were completed at 4, 8 and 16 post baseline. Focus groups were held after follow up to evaluate feasibility. Intervention effects were assessed using two-level growth models, with athletes nested within teams. Overall, no significant intervention effects were found over time for coaches or athletes’ perceptions of relationship quality, or for athlete outcomes of thriving and collective efficacy. However, a significant decrease in relatedness was observed in athletes’ basic psychological need satisfaction. Content analysis of focus group interviews highlighted participants’ experiences of the intervention’s relevance, delivery and implementation into sport practice. While participants emphasized the importance of the intervention’s content, they also forwarded suggestions to improve delivery and transfer of skills into their daily sport practice. These insights shed light on potential reasons for the limited quantitative effects. While the current intervention did not produce significant effects, the study lays important groundwork for future research aiming to strengthen the coach-athlete relationship. • The intervention program aimed to improve coach-athlete relationships and outcomes • The Intervention is grounded in strong evidenced based relationship models • This study adopts a mixed methods approach to evaluate the intervention • The intervention targeted both coaches and athletes simultaneously • The intervention illustrates challenges in large multi-team designs • Interventions should be tailored to unique needs of coach-athlete dyads and teams