Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / Coaches have been found to have a remarkable influence on the physical and psychological development on their athletes and that their main responsibility is to help their athletes perform at their maximum level and reach goals that they could not attain on their own. Coaches are responsible for developing athletes’ mental, physical, technical, and tactical abilities, and in addition to all of these responsibilities, they are also expected to win. The coach-athlete relationship can thus be regarded as the conveying of technical skills and mentoring from coach to athlete. Despite the responsibilities of a coach, the athlete-coach relationship is fundamental in the process of coaching because its nature is likely to determine the athlete’s satisfaction, self-esteem and performance accomplishments. The aim of this study was to investigate female university track and field athletes’ lived experiences within the athlete-coach relationship to gather psychological effects relating to performance. The objectives were to explore the lived experiences of female university athletes within the athlete-coach relationship, investigate the psychological effects, and explore the impact it has on performance within the athlete-coach relationship. The researcher adopted the qualitative research method approach using the phenomenology design to explore and obtain a better understanding into the psychological effects of the athlete-coach relationship on an athletes’ performance. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. Following the interviews, all data was analyzed using the 3+1C’s conceptualized model as the theoretical framework. This model was used as it defines the coach-athlete relationship as a situation in which coaches and athletes’ closeness, commitment, and complementarity are co-orientated. The 3+1C’s model explored the athlete-coach relationship from the athlete’s perspective which elicited positive and negative psychological and performance effects within the athlete-coach dyad. The research findings of this thesis it can be concluded that the behaviours of coaches have an influence on female athletes’ psychological state as well as performance; and found that when coaches and athletes work together to achieve goals the relationship is more likely to be successful and the athlete is more likely to achieve goals. Furthermore it was concluded that affective emotional feelings of female University athletes are important in developing an effective athlete-coach relationship and facilitating positive psychological effects.

No esporte podemos identificar microculturas constituídas por um grupo de pessoas que compartilham valores, crenças, padrões de comportamentos e um sistema de símbolos, verbal e não verbal, que os distingue do meio cultural dominante. O ginásio é o espaço no qual as microculturas de Ginástica Artística (GA) estão resguardadas e mantém a preeminência das tradições que constituem, em âmbito maior, a macrocultura da modalidade. Nesse ambiente há uma teia de significados, supostamente compartilhados, que emergem de suas estruturas de ação, comportamento e comunicação que apresentam características idiossincráticas. E, essas só podem ser compreendidas a partir dos significados atribuídos pelos seus próprios protagonistas, ou seja, ginastas e técnicos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar, apresentar e analisar aspectos que constituem a microcultura de GA, em um ginásio de treinamento de alto rendimento, na categoria feminina. O caminho metodológico escolhido foi a abordagem de um estudo de caso do tipo etnográfico. No transcorrer do estudo, foi possível desvelar procedimentos, valores e comportamentos que elucidam a cultura de treinamento da GA feminina e que conformam a dinâmica de funcionamento do ginásio. Observamos no corpo e no desempenho das ginastas aspectos que refletem a cultura, assim como nos padrões de comportamento e na comunicação das ginastas e dos técnicos. Valores como a perseverança, a disciplina, a dedicação e a subserviência das ginastas aos técnicos emergiram durante as horas de treinamento. Ademais, observamos atributos inerentes ao universo simbólico do ginásio como a necessidade de sacrifício à dor e os atos ritualísticos. Essa cultura de treinamento, meio pelo qual as ginastas e os técnicos se adaptam e fornecem sentido às suas ações nesse ambiente físico e social de treinamento, expôs características peculiares da GA feminina e que continuam a ser transmitidas entre as gerações de atletas pelo processo de endoculturação / In the sport environment we can identify microcultures consisting of a group of people who share values, beliefs, patterns of behavior and a symbolic system, verbal and nonverbal, which distinguishes them from the dominant cultural milieu. The gym is the space in which Artistic Gymnastics microcultures are sheltered and preserves the preeminent traditions which constitute, at a larger scope, the macroculture of this sport. In this environment there is a web of meanings, supposedly shared, emerging from their structures of action, behavior and communication that have idiosyncratic characteristics. Moreover, that can only be understood from the meanings assigned by its own protagonists, in other words, gymnasts and coaches. The aim of this study was to identify, present and analyze aspects that constitute the microculture of Artistic Gymnastics at a high performance training gym in the woman\'s category. The methodological path chosen consisted of a case study of ethnographic type. In the course of the study, it was possible to unveil procedures, values, and behaviors that elucidated the Woman\'s Artistic Gymnastics training culture that configured the dynamic operation of the gym. We observed in the body and in the performance of the gymnasts aspects that reflect the gym microculture, as well as in patterns of behavior and communication of the gymnasts and coaches. Values such as perseverance, discipline, dedication and subservience of the gymnasts to their coaches emerged during training hours. Furthermore, we observed inherent attributes emerging from the gym symbolic universe such as the need of pain sacrifice and ritualistic acts. This training culture, the means by which the gymnasts and coaches adapt themselves and provide significance to their actions in the physical and social environment of training, showed peculiar characteristics of Woman\'s Artistic Gymnastics that continue to be passed down across the generation of athletes by endoculturization process

No esporte podemos identificar microculturas constituídas por um grupo de pessoas que compartilham valores, crenças, padrões de comportamentos e um sistema de símbolos, verbal e não verbal, que os distingue do meio cultural dominante. O ginásio é o espaço no qual as microculturas de Ginástica Artística (GA) estão resguardadas e mantém a preeminência das tradições que constituem, em âmbito maior, a macrocultura da modalidade. Nesse ambiente há uma teia de significados, supostamente compartilhados, que emergem de suas estruturas de ação, comportamento e comunicação que apresentam características idiossincráticas. E, essas só podem ser compreendidas a partir dos significados atribuídos pelos seus próprios protagonistas, ou seja, ginastas e técnicos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar, apresentar e analisar aspectos que constituem a microcultura de GA, em um ginásio de treinamento de alto rendimento, na categoria feminina. O caminho metodológico escolhido foi a abordagem de um estudo de caso do tipo etnográfico. No transcorrer do estudo, foi possível desvelar procedimentos, valores e comportamentos que elucidam a cultura de treinamento da GA feminina e que conformam a dinâmica de funcionamento do ginásio. Observamos no corpo e no desempenho das ginastas aspectos que refletem a cultura, assim como nos padrões de comportamento e na comunicação das ginastas e dos técnicos. Valores como a perseverança, a disciplina, a dedicação e a subserviência das ginastas aos técnicos emergiram durante as horas de treinamento. Ademais, observamos atributos inerentes ao universo simbólico do ginásio como a necessidade de sacrifício à dor e os atos ritualísticos. Essa cultura de treinamento, meio pelo qual as ginastas e os técnicos se adaptam e fornecem sentido às suas ações nesse ambiente físico e social de treinamento, expôs características peculiares da GA feminina e que continuam a ser transmitidas entre as gerações de atletas pelo processo de endoculturação / In the sport environment we can identify microcultures consisting of a group of people who share values, beliefs, patterns of behavior and a symbolic system, verbal and nonverbal, which distinguishes them from the dominant cultural milieu. The gym is the space in which Artistic Gymnastics microcultures are sheltered and preserves the preeminent traditions which constitute, at a larger scope, the macroculture of this sport. In this environment there is a web of meanings, supposedly shared, emerging from their structures of action, behavior and communication that have idiosyncratic characteristics. Moreover, that can only be understood from the meanings assigned by its own protagonists, in other words, gymnasts and coaches. The aim of this study was to identify, present and analyze aspects that constitute the microculture of Artistic Gymnastics at a high performance training gym in the woman\'s category. The methodological path chosen consisted of a case study of ethnographic type. In the course of the study, it was possible to unveil procedures, values, and behaviors that elucidated the Woman\'s Artistic Gymnastics training culture that configured the dynamic operation of the gym. We observed in the body and in the performance of the gymnasts aspects that reflect the gym microculture, as well as in patterns of behavior and communication of the gymnasts and coaches. Values such as perseverance, discipline, dedication and subservience of the gymnasts to their coaches emerged during training hours. Furthermore, we observed inherent attributes emerging from the gym symbolic universe such as the need of pain sacrifice and ritualistic acts. This training culture, the means by which the gymnasts and coaches adapt themselves and provide significance to their actions in the physical and social environment of training, showed peculiar characteristics of Woman\'s Artistic Gymnastics that continue to be passed down across the generation of athletes by endoculturization process

The objective of this study was to investigate the dynamics in the athlete-coach relationship in the course of athletic career, from the perspective of one individual sport athlete and one team sport athlete. The study tried to answer the following questions: (1) How one team sport athlete and one individual sport athlete perceive the athlete-coach relationships at different stages of the athletic career? (2) How the athlete-coach relationships change in the course of the athletic career from the perspective of a team sport athlete and an individual sport athlete? (3) How athletes perceive the characteristics of their most influential coaches? As theoretical frameworks the 3+1Cs conceptualization of coach-athlete relationship (Jowett, 2007), the multidimensional model of leadership (Chelladurai, 1990), and the developmental model on transitions faced by athletes (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004) were used. In-depth narrative interviews were used. One team sport athlete and one individual sport athlete that had been active in their sport for at least 10 years were interviewed. Four analyses were made: sjuzet-fabula analysis, holistic-content analysis, categorical-content analysis, and critical narrative analysis. Poetic representations were used to present parts of the results. The results show that the athletes perceive their relationship to their coach differently in different stages of their career. They perceived the athlete-coach relationship as dynamic in structure. Finally their most influential coach could be found in the developmental stage of their career and this coach was important to them in different ways. The results were discussed in relation to theoretical frameworks and previous research. / Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka dynamiken i relationen mellan idrottare och tränare under idrottarens karriär detta från en lagidrottare och en individuell idrottares perspektiv. Studien försökte svara på följande frågor: (1). Hur upplever en lagidrottare och en individuell idrottare relationen till tränaren under olika stadier av idrottskarriären? (2.) Hur relationen mellan tränare och idrottare förändras under idrottskarriärens gång ur en lagidrottares och en individuell idrottares perspektiv? (3). Hur upplever idrottarna deras mest inflytelserika tränares egenskaper? Som teoretisktramverk användes 3+1Cs begreppsmässighet av relationen mellan tränare och idrottare (Jowett, 2007), den multidimensionella modellen av ledarskap (Chelladurai, 1990), och utvecklingsmodellen för övergångar upplevda av idrottare (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004). Djupgående narrativa intervjuer användes. En lagidrottare och en individuell idrottare som varit aktiv i minst 10 år intervjuades. Fyra analyser utfördes: sjuzet-fabula analys, holistisk innehållsanalys, kategorisk innehållsanalys, och kritisk narrativ analys. Poetisk representation användes för att presenterar delar av resultatet. Resultatet visade att idrottarna upplevde deras tränare olika i olika steg i deras karriär. De upplevde relationen mellan idrottare och tränare som dynamisk i sin struktur. Slutligen kunde deras mest inflytelserikaste tränare hittas i utvecklingssteget i deras karriär och tränaren var viktig för dem på olika sätt. Resultaten diskuterades i förhållande till teoretiskt ramverka och tidigare forskning.