A comparison of the Coach-Athlete Relationship in Team and Individual Sports and its Relationship with Self-Confidence

The aim of the study was to compare the coach-athlete relationship in team and individual sports in adolescent athletes and its relationship to their sport self confidence. The present study is a descriptive correlational research. Participants were 300 male athletes with mean of age (16.40± 1.92) which be selected randomly-startified of adolescent athletes in Kermanshah, and completed Jowett & Ntoumanis (2003) coach-athlete relationship questionnaire and Self-confidence questionnaire of the subscale of Competitive State Anxiety Inventory 2 (CSAI-2) made by Martens, Vealry and Burton(1990). Descriptive statistics for data analysis, t-test for comparing and multiple regression for correlation in significance level of P<0.01 was used. T test results showed athletes in team and individual associated with different coaches to understand. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant positive correlation between the coach-athlete relationship and self-confidence in athletes. Regression analysis revealed that the self-confidence can be predicted from closeness, commitment, and Complementarity components. The findings of this study showed that athletes in team and individual sports perceived their relationship with coaches differently, and athletes from individual sports reported being closer, more committed and more complementarity to their coach and the better the coach-athlete relationship, showed higher the self- confidence.