Player Autonomy in Sport: Impact of Coach’s Passion

While motivation is a critical factor in all sports, at the highest level of performance it is what makes the difference between success and failure. Motivation can be either intrinsic or extrinsic, but intrinsic motivation is often more potent of the two. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) posits that human motivation is linked to inherent psychological needs. When SDT is applied to movement, it is suggested that regularity of physical activity participation is influenced by intrinsic motivation and perceived autonomy. In sports, coaches play a unique role in an athlete's performance and are directly responsible for the social environment and perceived autonomy for athletes. The type of passion a coach exhibits influences their coaching style and impacts an athlete's perception of autonomy. As a result, there is debate as to which types of passion have the most influence on coaching styles and in turn, an athlete’s perceived autonomy. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the affects of coach's passion, a strong inclination or emotion toward something, on a player's perceived autonomy, and whether obsessive passion is more detrimental than no passion at all. Using a systematic literature review, and the PRISMA guidelines, this study analyzed 23 peer-reviewed journal articles, from 1985 to present, relating to SDT, the dualistic model of passion, and intrinsic motivation. The findings suggest that harmonious passion leads to the greatest autonomy and intrinsic motivation, and it can overcome the negative effects of obsessive passion. These results provide insight as to how coaches should optimize their coaching techniques to train their athletes to maximize performance. Implications suggest that coaches learn to recognize when they are exhibiting obsessive behaviors and actively attempt to reduce it by engaging in more harmonious actions.Kinesiology and Health Educatio