Abstract
As coaching scholars have explored a range of effective coaching behaviors, communication has recently been identified as one behavior that is predictive of athlete burnout. However, differences between verbal and non-verbal coach communication in predicting athlete burnout remains unknown. Moreover, limited research has examined how athlete burnout may in turn influence athletes desire to continue to participate in sport. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (a) examine the extent to which coaches’ use of verbal and non-verbal immediacy predicted athlete burnout; and (b) does athlete burnout mediate the relationship between coaches’ use of verbal and non-verbal immediacy and athletes desire to continue to participate in sport. A total of 291 high school athletes (Mage = 15.72 years, 75.3% female, 84.2% White; 63.6% playing varsity) completed a survey. The linear regression entered coaches’ use of verbal and non-verbal immediacy into the equation in predicting athlete burnout. These communication constructs significantly (p<.001) predicted 10% of the variance in athlete burnout. Coaches’ use of non-verbal immediacy was a significant (p<.01) predictor of athlete burnout. In addition, athletes’ burnout significantly (p<.001) mediated the relationship between coaches’ use of non-verbal immediacy and athletes desire to continue to participate in sport. Conversely, athletes’ burnout did not significantly (p=.10) mediate the relationship between coaches’ use of verbal immediacy and athletes desire to continue to participate in sport. Our findings reinforce coaches’ use of non-verbal immediacy as critical to mitigating athlete burnout and increasing athletes desire to continue to participate in sport.
