RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COACHING LEADERSHIP STYLES, ATHLETE MOTIVATION, AND PERFORMANCE IN FOOTBALL PLAYERS

Abstract

This research investigated the connection between coaching leadership style, athlete motivation and performance for college football players. The purpose of the study was to examine how coaching leadership styles affect athlete motivation and player performance and to shed light on the relationship between motivation and performance outcomes. The quantitative research type was used with a descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional design to analyze the relationship among the variables studied. A structured questionnaire with a five point Likert scale was given to 150 college level football players. The coaching leadership styles (autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leadership) were measured together with intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and player performance. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, independent sample t-test and One-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. The results showed that the football players preferred the democratic coaching style of leadership compared to the laissez-faire coaching style, which was the least preferred coaching style. Intrinsic motivation was identified as the main motivation of athletes, as it had to do with personal satisfaction and achievement. The coaching leadership styles had significant positive correlations with the players' performance and their motivation. A regression analysis also revealed that the democratic leadership style and the intrinsic motivation significantly explained football performance, while the laissez faire leadership style was not significant. A few differences between the genders and groups were also noted. It was found that good coaching leadership and high athlete motivation levels made a substantial impact on enhancing football performance. The results highlighted the need for coaches to foster positive environments to boost motivation and performance, providing real-world guidance for coaches, sports organizations, and football development initiatives.