CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COACH-ATHLETE RELATIONSHIP AMONG YOUTH HANDBALL PLAYERS

EMPHASIS ON PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the coach-athlete relationship among youth national team players and non-national team handball players (N = 82). The research was motivated by the fact that the transition from the youth age groups to the adult age group is not smooth, it involves many pitfalls, therefore it is important to examine the pedagogical and emotional factors more comprehensively in order to ensure successful preparation. The central figure of this work is the coach, which is why mapping the coach-athlete relationship is also crucial. The opinions of the athletes were evaluated using the CART-Q Questionnaire (Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire, Jowett & Ntoumanis, 2004). The questions of the CART-Q questionnaire examine three defining characteristics of the coach-athlete relationship: „closeness”, „co-orientation”, „complementarity „. The results show significant differences among national team players and non-national team handball players. We discovered the biggest difference in the „co-orientation” subscale between the two groups. Selected, proven athletes feel that they have developed a closer relationship with their coach and have shown greater commitment to their coach and the sport. They also believe that, hand in hand with their coach, they are looking forward to a promising sports career. We also examined the difference between boys and girls. The difference between the two genders was observed in the subscales „coaching behavior/ complementarity „ and „closeness”. It can be said that the girls are much closer to their coach from an emotional point of view, that is, they like their coach, trust him, respect him and appreciate his coach’s daily work. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended that we further research and develop the pedagogical competencies of coaches.