Abstract

Although social support is integral to the coaching process, there is only a limited understanding of the antecedents
of perceived coach support. We applied generalizability theory to examine perceived coach support
and its antecedents at perceiver, provider, and relational levels of analysis. Two studies were conducted in
which athletes rated the degree to which they identified with a selection of coaches, and the personality, competency,
and supportiveness of those coaches. Univariate analyses demonstrated that the relational component
accounted for a significant amount of variance in perceived coach support in both studies. Multivariate analyses
demonstrated that when athletes perceive specific coaches to be highly agreeable, competent, and individuals
with whom they share a common identity, they also perceive these same coaches to be particularly supportive
in comparison with other coaches.