THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COACH BURNOUT AND ATHLETES’ PSYCOLOGICAL RESPONSES: A SELF DETERMINATION PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Burnout is a syndrome defined as a result of three concepts: Emotional - physical exhaustion, reduced accomplishment, and depersonalisation - devaluation; experienced by coaches and athletes as well. The present research aimed to analyse a proposed burnout model which describes whether coaches’ behaviours and coach – athlete relationship mediate the relationship between coach and athlete burnout, under a Self –Determination Theory (SDT) framework. The proposed model was analysed in three separate parts: a) the mediation of motives in the relationship between basic need satisfaction and coach burnout, b) the mediation of leadership styles, interpersonal behaviours and athlete - coach relationship in the relationship between coach and athlete burnout and c) the mediation of motives in the relationship between basic need satisfaction and athlete burnout. Mainly, hierarchical regressions showed that competence predicted mostly coach burnout while relatedness and autonomy predicted mostly athlete burnout. Athlete – coach burnout relationship was associated mostly to instruction and autocratic behaviour (leadership styles), autonomy supportive and controlling behaviours (interpersonal behaviours), and commitment - complementarity (athlete-coach relationship). The results suggest that the interaction between coach and athlete burnout can be well explained through SDT framework. Implications were made for further research.