The impact of athlete-coach fit on the athletic satisfaction of NCAA Division II college athletes

ABSTRACT

Relationships between athletes and coaches are essential to understanding organized, competitive sports. In U.S. intercollegiate athletics, coaches affect the lives of athletes in myriad ways, including athletic performance, academic performance, professional development, and emotional development. The current study utilized person-environment fit, an organizational theory concerned with compatibility between individuals and organizations, to examine the coach-athlete relationship in Division II intercollegiate athletics. Using a survey design, the researchers collected data from 257 NCAA Division II college athletes. Representing the focal variable, person-environment fit was assessed at four levels: between athlete and coach, athlete and teammates, athlete and role(s), and athlete and team culture. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses reported that perceived fit with coaches has a unique and important impact on college athlete satisfaction. These results highlight the need for coaches to cultivate and sustain positive relationships with athletes, and for administrators to support coaches in those efforts.