ABSTRACT
There is moderate empirical evidence that supportive families, coaches, and teachers contribute to athlete development. Of these various social actors, athletes and coaches are considered the two key performers in the sporting context. The coach plays a central role in how athletes experience sport. The International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) defined sports coaching as 'a process of guided development in a single sport at identified stages of development'. Côté and Fraser-Thomas proposed three major potential outcomes from engagement in youth sport: (a) improved physical health; (b) psychosocial development; and (c) motor skill development. Athlete motivation, and the motivational climate in sport settings created by coaches, has been well researched within Self-Determination Theory. The coach's ability to appropriately structure programs for emerging athletes has been shown to have a large bearing on their continued engagement in sport. In the performance athlete context, the emphasis is rightly on performance outcomes achieved through carefully programmed training and scheduled competitions.
