SECTION IV - PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF SPORT AND EXERCISE / RESEARCH PAPER
Innovative Approaches in Sports Education: Enhancing Motivation, Team Unity, and Confidence through Coaching Feedback and Training Intensity
1
Department of General Education, Aerospace Information Technology University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China.
2
Sports Department, Honam University, Gwangju, South Korea.
3
School of Physical Education, Qingdao Stellar Technology College, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China.
Submission date: 2025-03-03
Final revision date: 2025-05-10
Acceptance date: 2025-09-09
Online publication date: 2026-03-30
Corresponding author
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
High-quality sports education has recently gained attention, boosting athletes' development and performance. Despite research on the impact of coaching input, training intensity, and team cohesion on performance across various sports disciplines, there is still a need for further investigation. This study investigated the impact of coaching feedback quality, training intensity, team cohesion, and motivation on athletes’ performance, with a focus on self-efficacy and coach-athlete interactions. The study also investigated whether and how these factors could enhance athletes' performance. Eight hundred twenty-five Chinese athletes from various sports were involved in this research. The relationships between the considered variables were examined using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study employed descriptive and inferential statistics to investigate the impact of coaching assistance, training intensity, and other factors on athletes' performance. Players' satisfaction with coaching help, self-efficacy, motivation, training intensity, team cohesion, and coach-athlete relationships were found to be positively correlated. The data also demonstrated that high-quality coaching input improved team cohesion, athletes’ motivation, and performance. The study emphasizes the importance of effective coaching, suitable training intensity, and teamwork in teaching athletes these skills. Together with increasing self-efficacy and positive coach-athlete interactions, these factors would improve competitive performance
REFERENCES (76)
1.
Ansell, D. B., & Spencer, N. L. (2022). "Think about what you're doing and why you're doing it": Coach feedback, athlete self-regulation, and male youth hockey players. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 34(3), 459–478.
2.
Bhavsar, N., Ntoumanis, N., Quested, E., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., & Chatzisarantis, N. (2020). Self-determination theory. In The Routledge International Encyclopedia of Sport and Exercise Psychology (pp. 565–583). Routledge.
3.
Brenner, J. S., & Watson, A. (2024). Overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout in young athletes. Pediatrics, 153(2), e2023065129.
4.
Burns, L., Stanimirovic, R., & Donaldson, A. (2024). Characteristics of successful performance support team members at the Olympic Games. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(5), 1950–1960. https://doi.org/10.1177/174795....
5.
Byrne, B. M. (2016). Adaptation of assessment scales in cross-national research: Issues, guidelines, and caveats. International Perspectives in Psychology, 5(1), 51–65.
6.
Cardenas Hernandez, F. P., Schneider, J., Di Mitri, D., Jivet, I., & Drachsler, H. (2024). Beyond hard workout: A multimodal framework for personalized running training with immersive technologies. British Journal of Educational Technology, 55(4), 1528–1559.
7.
Carson, F., Blakey, M., Foulds, S. J., Hinck, K., & Hoffmann, S. M. (2022). Behaviors and actions of the strength and conditioning coach in fostering a positive coach-athlete relationship. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(11), 3256–3263.
8.
Chang, C. J., Putukian, M., Aerni, G., Diamond, A. B., Hong, E. S., Ingram, Y. M., ... & Wolanin, A. T. (2020). Mental health issues and psychological factors in athletes: detection, management, effect on performance, and prevention: American medical society for sports medicine position statement. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 30(2), e61–e87.
9.
Cho, H., Yi Tan, H., & Lee, E. (2020). Importance of perceived teammate support as a predictor of student-athletes' positive emotions and subjective well-being. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 15(3), 364–374.
10.
Cho, S. L., & Baek, W. Y. (2020). Coach–autonomy support and youth sport team efficacy mediated by coach–athlete relationship. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 48(2), 1–9.
11.
Cook, G. M., Fletcher, D., & Carroll, C. (2021). Psychosocial functioning of Olympic coaches and its perceived effect on athlete performance: A systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 14(1), 278–311.
12.
Crăciun, M., & Rus, C. L. (2009). The relationship between perceived coach leadership behaviours and team cohesion among Romanian athletes. Revista Iberoamericana De Psicología Del Ejercicio Y El Deporte, 4(2), 217–231.
13.
Dong, L., Fan, R., Zhou, S., Wang, B., & Ye, L. (2024). The influence of athletes' gratitude on burnout: the sequential mediating roles of the coach-athlete relationship and hope. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1358799.
14.
Eather, N., Miller, A., Jones, B., & Morgan, P. J. (2021). Evaluating the impact of a coach development intervention for improving coaching practices and player outcomes in netball: The MASTER coaching randomized control trial. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 16(3), 439–455.
15.
Eken, Ö., & Kafkas, M. E. (2022). Effects of low and high intensity interval training exercises on VO2max and components of neuromuscular and vascular system in male volunteers. Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions, 22(3), 352.
16.
Fransen, K., Haslam, S. A., Steffens, N. K., Mallett, C. J., Peters, K., & Boen, F. (2020). Making 'us' better: High-quality athlete leadership relates to health and burnout in professional Australian football teams. European Journal of Sport Science, 20(7), 953–963.
17.
Freire, G., Contreira, A., De Moraes, J., De Oliveira, D., Fiorese, L., & Junior, J. D. N. (2022). Coach-athlete relationship, team cohesion and motivation in Brazilian youth athletes: a cluster analysis. Human Movement, 24(3), 44–53.
18.
Giacomini, N. G., & Porter, P. M. (2023). The art of coaching: transferring interpersonal and group conflict resolution skills to a one-on-one setting. In Reframing Campus Conflict (pp. 144–170). Routledge.
19.
González-García, H., Martinent, G., & Nicolas, M. (2022). Relationships between coach's leadership, group cohesion, affective states, sport satisfaction and goal attainment in competitive settings. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 17(2), 244–253.
20.
Gu, S., Peng, W., Du, F., Fang, X., Guan, Z., He, X., & Jiang, X. (2023). Association between coach-athlete relationship and athlete engagement in Chinese team sports: The mediating effect of thriving. Plos One, 18(8), e0289979.
21.
Gupta, S., & McCarthy, P. J. (2021). Sporting resilience during COVID-19: What is the nature of this adversity and how are competitive elite athletes adapting?. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 611261.
22.
Habeeb, C. M., Stephen, S. A., & Eklund, R. C. (2024). Team efficacy profiles: congruence predicts objective performance of athlete pairs. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 46(1), 22–33.
23.
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24.
24.
Hao, X. (2024). The influence of volleyball training on the psychological health development of college students. Revista de Psicología del Deporte (Journal of Sport Psychology), 33(1), 258–269.
25.
Hebard, S. P., Oakes, L. R., Davoren, A. K., Milroy, J. J., Redman, J., Ehrmann, J., & Wyrick, D. L. (2021). Transformational coaching and leadership: athletic administrators' novel application of social and emotional competencies in high school sports. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 14(3), 345–364.
26.
Hefkaluk, N., Linehan, C., & Trace, A. (2024). Fail, fail again, fail better: how players who enjoy challenging games persist after failure in "Celeste". International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 183, 103199.
27.
Hogg, J. M. (2024). Debriefing sports performance: A strategy to enhance mental and emotional recovery and plan for future competition. In Fostering Recovery and Well-being in a Healthy Lifestyle (pp. 73–91). Routledge.
28.
Hui, R. T. Y., Chiu, W., Won, D., & Bae, J. S. (2023). The influence of team-member exchange on turnover intention among student-athletes: the mediating role of interpersonal self-efficacy and the moderating role of seniority. Sport Management Review, 26(1), 135–155.
29.
Jetzke, M., & Mutz, M. (2020). Sport for pleasure, fitness, medals or slenderness? Differential effects of sports activities on well-being. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 15, 1519–1534.
30.
Jones, B., Eather, N., Miller, A., & Morgan, P. J. (2023). Evaluating the impact of a coach development intervention for improving coaching practices and player outcomes in football: the MASTER Coaching randomized control trial. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 29(6), 652–669. https://doi.org/10.1080/174089....
31.
Jowett, S., & Ntoumanis, N. (2004). The coach-athlete relationship questionnaire (CART‐Q): Development and initial validation. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 14(4), 245–257.
32.
Kim, D. H., Kim, J. H., & Park, K. J. (2023). The impact of regular exercise, competition experience, and physical self-efficacy on psychological resilience. Revista de Psicología del Deporte (Journal of Sport Psychology), 32(3), 1–19.
33.
Kim, Y., & Park, I. (2020). "Coach really knew what I needed and understood me well as a person": effective communication acts in coach–athlete interactions among Korean Olympic archers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9), 3101.
34.
Kumari, V. (2023). Concepts of sports psychology and its significance. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Innovation and Research Methodology, 2(2), 45–50.
35.
Lee, S., Kwon, S., Jang, D., & Kwon, H. (2023). The effect of coach–athlete fit on the coach–athlete relationship in team sport: Role of trust in coach. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 18(4), 986–993.
36.
Li, J., Li, Y., Atakan, M. M., Kuang, J., Hu, Y., Bishop, D. J., & Yan, X. (2020). The molecular adaptive responses of skeletal muscle to high-intensity exercise/training and hypoxia. Antioxidants, 9(8), 656.
37.
Lundqvist, C., Schary, D. P., Eklöf, E., Zand, S., & Jacobsson, J. (2023). Elite lean athletes at sports high schools face multiple risks for mental health concerns and are in need of psychosocial support. Plos One, 18(4), e0284725.
38.
Males, J. R., Kerr, J. H., & Hudson, J. (2021). Athlete–coach conflict and a sport psychologist caught in the middle: a case study of consultancy during athlete preparation and performance in Olympic games athletics. Sport Psychologist, 35(1), 30–42.
39.
McMullen, B., Henderson, H. L., Ziegenfuss, D. H., & Newton, M. (2020). Coaching behaviors as sources of relation-inferred self-efficacy (RISE) in American male high school athletes. International Sport Coaching Journal, 7(1), 52–60.
40.
Melikuzievich, A. A., &Adhamjon, M. A. (2023). Methodological groundwork for assessing young freestyle wrestlers' physical development. Best Journal of Innovation in Science, Research and Development, 2(6), 348–357.
41.
Moll, T., & Davies, G. L. (2021). The effects of coaches' emotional expressions on players' performance: Experimental evidence in a football context. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 54, 101913.
42.
Mopas, M. S., & Huybregts, E. (2020). Training by feel: Wearable fitness-trackers, endurance athletes, and the sensing of data. Senses and Society, 15(1), 25–40.
43.
Mujahidah, N., & Yusdiana, Y. (2023). Application of Albert Bandura's social-cognitive theories in teaching and learning. EdukasiIslami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 12(02), 4585.
44.
Naclerio, F., Rodríguez-Romo, G., Barriopedro-Moro, M. I., Jimenez, A., Alvar, B. A., & Triplett, N. T. (2011). Control of resistance training intensity by the OMNI perceived exertion scale. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(7), 1879–1888.
45.
Nam, K., Kim, C., & Yoon, S. (2024). Relationship between judo coaches' authentic leadership and judo athletes' perceived performance: Mediating effect of self-management. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(1), 19–32.
46.
Newman, N. D., & Weiss, W. M. (2017). Relationship between demographic variables and collegiate athletes' perceptions of social support from head coaches. International Journal of Sports Science &Coaching, 13(3), 343–348. https://doi.org/10.1177/174795....
47.
Nikander, J. A. O., Ronkainen, N. J., Korhonen, N., Saarinen, M., & Ryba, T. V. (2022). From athletic talent development to dual career development? A case study in a Finnish high performance sports environment. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 20(1), 245–262.
48.
Núñez, J. L., Martín-Albo, J., Navarro, J. G., & González, V. M. (2006). Preliminary validation of a spanish version of the sport motivation scale. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 102(3), 919–930.
49.
Nyland, J., Smith, A., Pyle, B., & Mei-Dan, O. (2020). An ecological dynamics perspective of return to play decision-making for extreme sport athletes. Muscles, Ligaments & Tendons Journal (MLTJ), 10(2), 35.
50.
Qi, Y., Sajadi, S. M., Baghaei, S., Rezaei, R., & Li, W. (2024). Digital technologies in sports: Opportunities, challenges, and strategies for safeguarding athlete wellbeing and competitive integrity in the digital era. Technology in Society, 77, 102496.
51.
Ruan, Z., & Liu, W. (2021). Coach authentic leadership connected with performance satisfaction and psychological well-being of team: The mediating role of team cohesion and psychological capital. Revista de Psicología del Deporte (Journal of Sport Psychology), 30(1), 189–203.
52.
Saarinen, M., Ryba, T. V., Ronkainen, N. J., Rintala, H., & Aunola, K. (2020). 'I was excited to train, so I didn't have problems with the coach': dual career athletes' experiences of (dis) empowering motivational climates. Sport in Society, 23(4), 629–644.
53.
Sakalidis, K. E., Fadeeva, A., Hettinga, F. J., & Ling, F. C. M. (2023). The role of the social environment in inclusive sports participation—Identifying similarities and challenges in athletes with and without Intellectual Disabilities through coaches' eyes: A qualitative inquiry. Plos One, 18(1), e0280379.
54.
Salcinovic, B., Drew, M., Dijkstra, P., Waddington, G., &Serpell, B. G. (2022). Factors influencing team performance: what can support teams in high-performance sport learn from other industries? A systematic scoping review. Sports Medicine-Open, 8(1), 25.
55.
Sarkar, M., & Hilton, N. K. (2020). Psychological resilience in Olympic medal–winning coaches: A longitudinal qualitative study. International Sport Coaching Journal, 7(2), 209–219.
56.
Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832.
57.
Segura-Berges, M., Peñarrubia-Lozano, C., & Bustamante, J. C. (2024). (Re) defining Motor Competence: Empirical Exploration Based on a Moderated Mediation Approach. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 95(4), 795–803.
58.
Seo, E., Kim, Y., & Ahn, H. (2025). Sports Ability-Beliefs, Goal Orientation, and Exercise Adherence among Korean Golfers: A Causal/Multiple Mediation Model Using Phantom Variables. Journal of Human Kinetics, 98, 217–230. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/19....
59.
Sharma, S. (2023). A study of personality types, sports motivation, and competitive aggressiveness and anger among individual and team sport athletes. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Approaches in Psychology, 1(3), 1–73.
60.
Shipherd, A. M., Coumbe-Lilley, J. E., & Duncan, C. K. (2024). An exploration of the sources of self-efficacy information in athletic injury rehabilitation. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 1(aop), 1–20.
61.
Shuai, Z., Keat, O. B., & Tham, J. (2024). The impact of coaching behaviours on the sustainable development of youth athletes. Migration Letters, 21(S2), 794–815.
62.
Song, B., Martínez-Aranda, L. M., Leiva-Arcas, A., & Sánchez-Pato, A. (2024). The evolution of Chinese high-performance student-athletes' admission, cultivation and management policies. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 16(1), 151–175.
63.
Steelman, L. A., & Wolfeld, L. (2018). The manager as coach: The role of feedback orientation. Journal of Business And Psychology, 33, 41–53.
64.
Teixeira, D. S., Andrade, A. J., Faria, J., Marques, P., Bastos, V., Rodrigues, F., ... & Pereira, H. V. (2024). Exercise intensity agreement, need satisfaction, and exercise behavior: A sex‐moderated mediation model. European Journal of Sport Science, 24(10), 1495–1507.
65.
Thapa, R. K., Lum, D., Moran, J., & Ramirez-Campillo, R. (2021). Effects of complex training on sprint, jump, and change of direction ability of soccer players: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 627869.
66.
Timmerman, W. P., Abbiss, C. R., Lawler, N. G., Stanley, M., & Raynor, A. J. (2024). Athlete monitoring perspectives of sports coaches and support staff: a scoping review. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(4), 1813–1832.
67.
Tossici, G., Zurloni, V., &Nitri, A. (2024). Stress and sport performance: A PNEI multidisciplinary approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1358771.
68.
Vega-Díaz, M., & González-García, H. (2025). Do Parenting Styles Influence Mental Toughness and Sportsmanship in Young Athletes? A Structural Equation Modelling Approach. Journal of Human Kinetics, 95, 243–257. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/18....
69.
Wang, J., Li, J., & Cheng, J. (2023a). Spatial disparity of sports infrastructure development and urbanization determinants in China: evidence from the sixth national sports venues census. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy, 17(2), 573–598.h ttps://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-023-09557-4.
70.
Wang, L., Meng, Q., & Lipowski, M. (2024). Effects of Emotional States on the Spatial Perception of Youth Athletes with Different Alerting Efficiencies. Journal of Human Kinetics, 94, 255–267. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/18....
71.
Wang, X., Soh, K. G., Samsudin, S., Deng, N., Liu, X., Zhao, Y., & Akbar, S. (2023b). Effects of high-intensity functional training on physical fitness and sport-specific performance among the athletes: A systematic review with meta-analysis. PloS One, 18(12), e0295531.
72.
Worley, J. T., Harenberg, S., & Vosloo, J. (2020). The relationship between peer servant leadership, social identity, and team cohesion in intercollegiate athletics. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 49, 101712.
73.
Yang, P., Xu, R., & Le, Y. (2024). Factors influencing sports performance: A multi-dimensional analysis of coaching quality, athlete well-being, training intensity, and nutrition with self-efficacy mediation and cultural values moderation. Heliyon, 10(17), e36646.
74.
Zagórska, A., & Guszkowska, M. (2014). A program to support self‐efficacy among athletes. Scandinavian Journal Of Medicine & Science In Sports, 24(3), e121–e128.
75.
Zhang, L., Ge, Y., & Li, D. (2021). The features and mission of sport psychology in China. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(1), 45–53.
76.
Zou, Y., Liu, S., Guo, S., Zhao, Q., & Cai, Y. (2023). Peer support and exercise adherence in adolescents: the chain-mediated effects of self-efficacy and self-regulation. Children, 10(2), 401.
| eISSN: | 1899-7562 |
| ISSN: | 1640-5544 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
