Transitioning from Teammate to Coach: Effects on the Coach-Athlete Relationship

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the experience of transitioning from a teammate to a coach affected the relationship between a coach and his players. A semi-structured qualitative interview guide was employed to ask participants broad open ended questions to elicit responses regarding their various experiences in the coach athlete relationship. This allowed me to probe the participant when needed (Kvale, 1996).

Probing questions such as “What was that like for you?”, “How does that make you feel?” and “Talk more about that” were included to help participants explore the dynamics involved in the coach-athlete relationship (Pollio, Henley & Thompson, 1997).

Six athletes (1 coach and 5 players) were interviewed with the interviews lasting an average of 40 minutes. Each interview was subsequently transcribed and analyzed using an interpretive analysis. Three major areas of discussion emerged: 1) Renegotiating Personal Relationships, 2) Role Transition, and 3) Developing a Coaching Style. The major areas of discussion were discussed in terms of the coach-athlete relationship and transition in sport literature. Finally, implications for coaches, players, management, sport psychology consultants, and researchers were discussed.