László Révész, József Bognár, István Csáki and Gabriella Bicsérdy-Trzaskoma: A Study of the Coach-Athlete Relationship in Swimming

The primary aim of the study is to examine the coach-athlete relationship from an educational perspective. Although this relationship forms a part of everyday educational practice, it has received little attention in empirical research. While features of teacher-pupil and parent-child relationships have been examined in numerous investigations, very little educational research has been published that provides an in-depth analysis of the coach-athlete relationship. However, the topic is highly significant both in competitive and recreational sports; indeed, it is well-known that the quality of the relationship determines both sports performance and the socialization process. Given the anticipated changes to physical education in schools, the currency of the topic is clear. As a result of the legal changes, sports and sports education will also receive a greater role in schools; thus, a wider-ranging examination of this area is certainly timely. For this study, opinions were collected from domestic swimmers and swimming coaches, and features of an effective coach-athlete relationship marked by results were determined on the basis of these. Our findings show that this relationship has changed significantly in recent years: in addition to a greater emphasis on cooperation, a successful relationship is seen increasingly as consisting of setting and meeting common objectives and maintaining motivation over the long run. Today, one’s choice of a sport is founded primarily on effective use of leisure time and on health consciousness, not on competitive success. Clearly, it would be desirable to promote character development through the teacher-learner roles found within the coach-athlete relationship as well as setting the goal of maintaining a lifelong value orientation (toward sports) and engaging in daily physical activity.

MAGYAR PEDAGÓGIA 113. Number 1. 53-72. (2013)

Levelezési cím / Address for correspondence: Révész László, Bognár József, Csáki István és Trzaskoma-Bicsérdy Gabriella, Semmelweis Egyetem Testnevelési és Sporttudományi Kar (TF), H–1123 Budapest, Alkotás u. 44.

 
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