The Athlete and the Wider Sport Environment
Summary
Sports are characterized by numerous cultural and social cognitive factors that influence the overall group dynamics and dyadic relationships between the athletes and their coaches (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). Sport psychology has brought these issues into the limelight. The findings argue that supportive social networks play an influential role in the careers of both athletes and coaches, as the two work together to build a winning team (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). Influence factors describe morality and passion, which are components that shape the behaviors of the athletes and the coaches. Influence factors shape the expressions and the behaviors of diverse cultures that come together in sporting activities (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011).
The environment influences the way that coaches and athletes react to issues, which in turn offers critical lessons in social support. Athletes are discouraged from developing a mentality where they think that they can win on their own. Social and professional support from both coaches and the community play a critical role in developing a successful team (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). A coach serves as the leader, while the athlete acts as the follower. Followers must be willing to comply with the instructions put forward by their leaders (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). If the instructions are developed by one party, chances are that the other party will not feel like a part of the team, in the same way Competence is the act of being qualified intellectually and physically while elatedness defines the connectedness of the coach and the athlete. Autonomy is critical between the coach and the athlete in defining personal independence.
Coaches and athletes interact and learn from one another as they work together to gain a competitive edge on the competition. One of the most crucial factors in this process is motivation. Motivation is critical for the success of the team. Motivation may originate from an extrinsic or intrinsic. The coach and the athletes have a mutual responsibility to ensure that team members are motivated to reach their desired goals. The extent of the motivation is critical to defining the cooperation among the members of the team (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011).
Gaming activities are characterized by failures as well as by wins. Failures and successes are part and parcel of human life (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). Sporting activities educate people on the appropriate models for failures and successes, while at the same time maintaining the desired vision and the mission of the team. The world is constantly changing due to globalization and socialization, which requires that the coaches and the athletes adapt to such changes that are ever happening in the sporting world. Sporting psychology encourages the development of coach leadership, social relationships, effective communication models, motivation, morality, team cohesion, and audience effects (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011).
Opinion
In my opinion, the relationship between the coach and the athlete is useful in developing interconnected thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The Coach-athlete relationship encourages the coach to be effective, enhance sport performance of the athletes, and assist with the development of each athlete. A constructive coach-athlete relationship will have a positive influence on both parties.
Individual motivations improve the perceptions of the team members in attaining their desired targets. Supportive autonomy models argue that the behaviors of the coaches and the athletes better explain the preparedness of the teams in winning or losing the game. Healthy relationships among the members of the teams are crucial to setting the desired motivation and in shaping the competence levels, relatedness, and attributes of autonomy (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). Healthy relationships are geared towards responsible actions that influence the performance of the team; both the coaches and athletes share the responsibility of setting the right social processes and personalities in arriving at the desired vision of the team.
Application
The relationship between the coaches and the athletes in the world today can be related to the relationship between the eating habits of the athletes and their physical activities. Coaches encourage athletes to consume indigenous foods and eliminate junk foods. An athlete’s body needs a constant supply of energy-rich foods, both to facilitate their mental and physical abilities, which allow the human body to make conclusive judgments. Junk food is a large problem in today’s society. Athletes are encouraged to eat healthy foods that support sporting activities.
The concept of coach leadership offers an important lesson in understanding group dynamics, in that teamwork motivates and sets the right attitude of winning the game (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). It has been noted that sporting activities have diverse values and skills learned that have a positive influence in the lives of people. Coaches are encouraged to embrace teamwork. Teamwork is not only useful in sporting activities but also in many real life situations. Teamwork is a way of learning to appreciate the contribution of other people towards the success of the whole group.
References
Jowett, S. & Lavallee, D. (2011). Social Psychology in Sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
