The Influence of Coach Expectations on Athlete Development

Abstract

There are millions of coaches serving athletes from the youth to the professional levels. Regardless of competitive level, a major goal of all coaches is athlete development. Expectancy theory is one method utilized to examine this coach-athlete dynamic. Three lines of research provide results that can maximize player development. One, the sources of information coaches use to evaluate athlete ability are identified. Two, differential patterns of treatment have emerged which demonstrate that athletes deemed high expectancy are afforded better quality feedback than their low expectancy teammates. Three, coaches are inflexible in their perceptions of athlete ability. Based on these findings, practical strategies for coaches are offered.

KEYWORDS:

• Coaching
• Expectancy theory
• Athlete development