The coach-athlete relationship is key to achieving greatness in elite sports. And at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the margins between success and failure will be tiny.
Our new research offers insights on how the dark triad personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy), which tend to be more prevalent among athletes, might damage the relationship between coach and athlete, affecting their performance.
Studies have shown that athletes with a stronger relationship with their coach perform better. Elite athletes tend to be more satisfied with their own performance when they have a good relationship with their coach, too. They also report higher levels of intrinsic motivation for sport, where they are motivated by enjoyment and excitement. This kind of motivation is associated with increased persistence and better wellbeing.
