Examining the Relationship Between Coaching Sportspersonship and Intent to Return Amongst Higher Education Students

Higher education institutions often stress extracurricular programs enhance the moral development experienced within college. Within athletics, athlete's morality is tied to their actions, which are frequently recognized as either sportspersonlike or unsportspersonlike. Instances of unsportspersonlike behaviors are often covered across the media, enhancing the belief that athletes need to act out to gain recognition. This study assesses the impact that coaching behaviors have on the development of sportspersonship behaviors in college athletes and evaluates the impact that those coaching behaviors have on students’ intent to return to the institution. The results of the study indicate that within college athletics, athletes perceive five coaching behaviors ( emphasizes, instructs, models, rewards, and punishes) that directly relate to the development of sportspersonship and that those behaviors do impact students intent to return to the institution.