The Mediating Effect of Sport Orientation on the Relationship of Leader Behavior of Sports of Coaches and Mental Toughness of Athletes

The study aimed to determine the mediating effect of sport orientation on the relationship between the leadership behavior of sports’ coaches and the mental toughness of athletes among Special Program in Sports students in one of the public secondary schools in Malita, Province of Davao Occidental, Region XI using quantitative non-experimental descriptive- correlational research design. Results revealed a very high level of sport coaches’ leadership behavior, a very high level of athletes’ mental toughness, and very high level of sports orientation. The leadership behavior of sports’ coaches does not significantly correlate with the mental toughness of athletes and sports orientation. Sports orientation does not significantly correlate with the mental toughness of athletes. The null hypothesis is accepted that sport orientation does not significantly mediate sport coaches’ leadership behavior and athletes’ mental toughness. More so, there is a partial mediating effect of sport orientation on the relationship between the leader behavior of sports coaches’ and athletes’ mental toughness. Other factors may affect the mental toughness leadership style and motivation of their coaches aside from sports orientation although studies show coaches are responsible for everything from mental adjustments, life counseling, and interpersonal relationships to gathering information about competitions. Furthermore, this approach might be used as a means of continuous improvement for enhancing in-service education, refining current educational programs, and conducting comprehensive assessments of educational tools and interventions. Article visualizations: