Abstract

The objective of the present work was to explore whether the athlete's gender influenced the 3 Cs (Commitment, Closeness, Complementarity) of the coach-athlete relationship when viewed by the athlete's perspective and when viewed by the coach's perspective. According to the existing literature, the relationship that develops between a coach and an athlete has an impor¬tant rote. It is through this relationship that the athlete matures psychosocially and athletically. However, our knowledge on factors that influence this relationship is still theoretical and empirical. According to Mondello and Janelle (2001) coaches appear to differentiate their behaviors based on the athlete's gender, while coaching behaviors influence athletic performance and results. The purpose of this study was to explore potential differences between female and male Greek alpine ski athletes on the relationship they develop with their male coaches with regard to the constructs of closeness, commitment, and complementarity as these three appear to determine the dynamics and the quality of the dyadic relationship. Einleitung gekürzt und geändert