Club pressure, burnout and perceived motivational climate created by grassroots soccer coaches

Abstract

This study examines whether the pressure perceived by coaches in their clubs as well as their burnout experiences are antecedents of the perceived motivational climate (empowering and disempowering) that they create in their teams. The participants of this study were 124 grassroots soccer coaches who completed the questionnaires tapping the variables of interest. Path analysis showed that perceived pressure within the club positively predicted the coaches’ burnout experiences, which in turn positively predicted their perception of creating disempowering climate and negatively predicted their perceived creation of empowering climate. Burnout mediated the relationship between the perceived club pressure and their perceived creation of empowering and disempowering climate. Minimizing the pressure exerted by the clubs, and the burnout experienced by the coaches may lead the coaches to create empowering climates in their teams.