Motivating Athletes through the Use of Autonomy-Supportive Coaching

Current research suggests that athletes who perceive their coaches as autonomy supportive show greater benefits than those who are not exposed to such interactions, regardless of coaching level or sport (Fenton, Duda, Quested, & Barrett, 2014; Banack, Sabiston, & Bloom, 2012). These benefits can include situation-specific motivation, sport-specific performance, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and motivation for future activity participation (Occhino, Mallet, Rynne, & Carlisle, 2014). Several interventions have been completed which indicate that autonomy support can be learned by novice and experienced coaches to enhance these positive outcomes in athletes (Langdon, Harris, Burdette, & Rothberger, 2015). Based on the success of several interventions in teaching and coaching, the purpose of this session is to provide coaches with an explanation of autonomy support and specific strategies that can be used in practice and game situations. Attendees will evaluate their current use of such strategies and work through plans to establish successful use of the strategies in all aspects of coaching practice, including one-on-one and group interactions.