Creating an Optimal Motivational Team Climate to Help Collegiate Athletes Thrive during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

College athletes’ lives have been upended due to the sudden impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring 2020, athletes lost their competition seasons, face-to-face contact with their coaches and teammates, access to their training facilities and equipment, and faced additional struggles specific to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., financial, health concerns). The purpose of this paper is to outline strategies coaches can employ to create a caring and task-involving climate on their teams to help athletes thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategies came from a research study conducted to assess the responses of coaches and teammates that athletes perceived to be supportive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords:

• Caring climate
• task-involving climate
• coaching strategies
• athlete well-being support

Disclosure statement

We have no known conflicts of interest to report.

Notes

1 In the United States, college coaches spend a considerable amount of time with athletes, and are given the responsibility by the NCAA to “develop student-athletes on and off the field” (National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2020).