What supports and what thwarts Olympic athlete well-being?: Coach and organizational perspectives

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to examine the perspectives of Olympic coaches and national performance directors regarding factors they felt influence athlete well-being (both positively and negatively), and to explore their perceived roles in contributing to the well-being of their athletes. Coaches (n = 12) and national performance directors (n = 12) participated in semi-structured interviews, that were subjected to reflexive thematic analysis. We adopted a critical interpretivist research paradigm for this study. The findings included three higher-order themes, each of which encompassed two lower-order themes. These higher-order themes included the relentless pursuit of results (i.e., lack of opportunities outside of sport, the focus on results as harmful), the influence of the coach (i.e., the coach as a relationship builder, the coach as a gatekeeper of well-being), and financial uncertainty (i.e., financial uncertainty of the program, financial uncertainty for the athlete). When taken together, the findings highlight that coaches and performance directors were often aware of threats to athlete well-being but were also uncertain how to support athlete well-being or of their role in potentially thwarting the well-being of their Olympic athletes. These findings are discussed within the broader context of the pervading culture of elite sport, and consideration for future research and knowledge mobilization. Lay summary: In this study, we queried Olympic coaches and performance directors regarding factors they felt influence elite athlete well-being, and what they felt their role is in contributing to the well-being of the athletes with whom they work. The findings within our study provide new insight into elite athlete well-being, including potential negative consequences related to the relentless pursuit of results, the impact of the coach, and the effects of financial uncertainty for Olympic athletes.

Implications for Practice:

• The findings highlight that various threats to Olympic athlete well-being persist as a consequence of the underpinning incentive system and priorities within elite sport.

• The findings demonstrate that coaches and performance directors are, at times, unaware of their role in negatively influencing the well-being of the Olympic athletes with whom they work.

• The findings underscore that coaches and performance directors acknowledge results are prioritized over all else, but are also often unaware of how to best support the well-being of athletes with whom they work.