Sign up to my FREE motivational psychology newsletter:Subscribe| Labours of Sport Coaching - The Self-Determined Coach

If a coach is controlling but shows high relatedness towards an athlete, does the relatedness buffer the control? Not quite, it turns out. In this episode I chat to Elisa Lefever, Doctoral Assistant at Gent University, about the intriguing cautionary findings of a recent paper determining the interacting impacts of coach control and relatedness on athlete performance, anxiety, burnout, and engagement.

Paper discussed:

Lefever, E., Flamant, N., Morbée, S., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Ntoumanis, N., & Haerens, L. (2025). Does a closer coach-athlete bond buffer or exacerbate the detrimental effects of controlling coaching on athletes’ coping and outcomes?. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 20(1), 56-69.

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/markjcarrollresearcher/

Sign up to my FREE motivational psychology newsletter:Subscribe| Labours of Sport Coaching - The Self-Determined CoachLearning more about what you should do as a coach should directly help improve your behaviour, right? Not quite. More information on your what, without knowing you why and how, leads to frustration for coaches, their organisation, and propagates a false formula that sets coaches up to fail. Coaches are increasingly audited and sold monitoring products that don't fix their behavioural problems. This is wrong. My PhD research taught my that information is the start line, but understanding yourself and your surroundings better is critical for putting in place meaningful training and support that lead to real change (if change is even what should be targeted). Listen in and I'll talk you through - just don't think this information is useful without taking further steps!

If you enjoy this episode, I suggest checking out this other episode too:

Why effective coaching needs reflexivity

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Subscribe| Labours of Sport Coaching - The Self-Determined Coach

This episode explores the psychological needs of coaches in sport, prioritising coaches' own sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. I discusses how these needs impact coaches' performance and their inclination towards supporting athletes' needs by extension. As coaches we are performers and people in our own right, deserving of feeling empowered, effective, and connected. A listen for coaches, coaching teams, and operational leadership alike to consider the interaction of coach and athlete support to achieve positive outcomes.

Chapters

00:00 The Psychological Needs of Coaches

02:50 The Role of Autonomy in Coaching

06:11 Competence and Its Importance for Coaches

09:04 The Significance of Relatedness in Coaching

12:09 Creating a Supportive Coaching Environment

14:59 The Impact of Coach Need Support on Athlete Need Support

21:09 The Interconnection of Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness

24:07 The Importance of Community Among Coaches

27:12 Long-term Development and Career Pathways for Coaches

Learn more about your host and access my services:

https://markjcarrollcoaching.wordpress.com/consultancy/

Connect with me on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markjcarrollresearcher/