High School Athletes’ Relationships With Head Coaches and Teammates as Predictors of Their Expressions of Upward and Lateral Dissent

Abstract

Athletes’ expressions of dissent are largely unrecognized, which limits coaches’ abilities to manage their teams and athletes’ abilities to voice themselves effectively. This study considers athletes’ roles on their teams, sport type, and relationships with coaches and teammates as predictors of upward and lateral expressions of dissent. Results gathered from 273 former high school athletes revealed a complex pattern of social interaction, whereby starting status and relationships with teammates directly predicted upward dissent and athlete–coach relationships indirectly predicted upward dissent. In contrast, only athletes’ relationships with coaches predicted their expressions of lateral dissent. These findings suggest that in order to promote functional patterns of athlete dissent coaches must build quality relationships with athletes, as well as climates that facilitate cohesion among athletes.

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