Satisfaction and the coach–athlete relationship: The mediating role of trust

Abstract

We examined the link between player satisfaction and the coach–athlete relationship within the organizational environment of a youth football team, and the mediating effect of players’ trust in the coach. Participants were 223 young footballers aged between 13 and 19 years, who completed an anonymous self-report survey to assess satisfaction, the coach–athlete relationship, and trust. The results show that players’ satisfaction had a significant predictive effect on the coach–athlete relationship, and that players’ trust in their coach played a mediating role in this relationship. The results provide researchers with a new perspective for studying the relationships between trust in coaches, athlete satisfaction, and coach–athlete relationships in sports organizations.