Olympic medallists' perspective of the althlete-coach relationship

Objectives: To investigate the nature and significance of the athlete-coach relationship within the context of the interpersonal constructs of Closeness, Co-orientation, and Complementarity (three Cs). Method: Participants were 12 Olympic medallists (three females and nine males). Each participant had achieved at least one medal in the Olympic Games held between 1968 and 1988. An interview schedule was utilised that prompted former athletes' responses to open-ended questions about their athletic relationship with their coach. Results: Feelings of Closeness, such as trust and respect, thoughts of Co-orientation, such as common goals, as well as complementary roles and tasks, marked the athletic relationships of the Olympic medallists. Despite the prevalence of the positive relational aspects, negative relational aspects, such as lack of emotional closeness and complementary resources, also emerged. The impact of the athlete-coach relationship on the success achieved became evident through the former athletes' narratives and recollections. Conclusion: The nature of the athlete-coach relationship has an important role to play in the athlete's development both as a performer and as a person. It is recommended that coach education programmes provide information that will assist coaches to develop effective relationships with their athletes. (C) 2002 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.