Coaches' Interpersonal Emotion Regulation and the Coach-Athlete Relationship

There is evidence to suggest that athletes use self-regulation and interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) strategies to improve performance and relationships (Tamminen Crocker, 2013); however, there is little research examining coaches’ use of IER and how this is connected to the coach-athlete relationship. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore coaches’ attempts to regulate their athletes’ emotions within the context of the coach-athlete relationship. Using a longitudinal multiple case study approach (Stake, 1995), participants included three cases each consisting of one male coach and two female athletes (total N = 9) from individual varsity sports. Coaches and athletes participated in individual interviews, a two-week audio diary period, and a follow-up interview. Athletes’ and coaches’ emotion regulation strategies were analyzed using Gross’ (1998) process model of emotion regulation: situation selection, situation modification, attention deployment, cognitive change, and response modulation. There were commonalities in the ways that participants perceived coaches used IER to regulate athletes’ emotions. With respect to the coach-athlete relationship (Jowett Meek, 2000), participants indicated that the quality of the relationship both influenced and was influenced by coaches’ attempts at IER with their athletes. A conceptual model outlining athletes’ emotions and emotion regulation, coaches’ IER, the coach-athlete relationship, and contextual factors was developed.M.Sc