Masters Thesis

Relationship Between Coaches' Expectancies of Athletes' Abilities and Athletes' Mental Toughness in a High School Sport Setting

There is evidence to suggest that coaches’ expectancies of their athletes’ abilities can influence athletes’ confidence and performance. The purpose of the present study was to explore a potential link between coaches’ expectancies of their athletes’ abilities and athletes’ mental toughness in a high school sport setting. A secondary aim of the study was to assess whether or not coaches’ expectancies of their athletes and athletes’ mental toughness change across a competitive sport season. Lastly, the present study examined differences in athletes’ mental toughness between multiple sport and single sport athletes. An Expectancy Rating Scale (Solomon, 2008) was completed by high school coaches in Central California. Additionally, the Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (Sheard, Golby, & van Wersch, 2009) was completed by the coaches’ student- athletes. Findings showed a significant positive relationship between coaches’ expectancies and athletes’ mental toughness. In addition, coaches’ expectancies of their athletes remained fixed across a competitive season. These findings can help coaches better understand their role in athlete development, especially how performance expectations may influence development of athlete mental toughness.

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