Abstract

Due to the possible negative effects a coach can have on an athlete, specifically during an injury recovery period, assessing a coach’s perception on the importance of their own established motivational climate is vital. The hypothesis of this study was: if a specific aspect of motivational climate is proven to be lacking in a coaches perception, then their athletes are less likely to recover and return to the chosen sport post-injury. All data was collected and inserted into the Statistical Software used for Statistical Analysis to correlate multiple variables using a quantification method of quantitative statistical analysis. Aspects of motivational climate tested by a coaches perception of importance include a) competence b) relatedness c) autonomy d) goal setting e) positive thinking f) pre-performance meditation. Using the Motivational Climate Questionnaire (MCQ), this study was able to conclude correlations with pre-performance meditation leading to: lowered injury rates, higher continuity rates post-injury alongside a higher likelihood of goal setting in the coaching style presented. The study also resulted showing no correlation with team cohesiveness due to the fact that 100% of the 22 participants tested stated that team cohesiveness is extremely important.