| Researchers have identified effective coach-athlete communication as a factor in competitive success and participant satisfaction in intercollegiate athletics. Communication difficulties and communication breakdowns may interfere with the possibilities for both success and satisfaction. Another body of research posits that communication breakdowns between coach and student-athletes may result from failures in perception, including self-perception on both sides. Finally, more generally, gender differences have been identified by many researchers as accounting for some communication breakdowns. Using a sample population of male head coaches and female team members from five intercollegiate sports at an NCAA Division I university, this study compared the male coaches' self-perceptions of their communication styles with the perceptions of the women student athletes they coach. Three key findings are presented in this study: Media and the role of social media influence the behavior and communication styles of coaches, the experiences of the coaches and the personalities of the women on their teams affect their communication style, and the self-identification of athletes influence their perception of the head coach's communication style. |
