When leadership, relationships and psychological safety promote flourishing in sport and life

This study explored the associations between leadership and relationship constructs, as well as psychological safety in athletes’ perceptions of flourishing and thriving. A total of 166 participants (males = 87; female = 79) from team sports completed a survey measuring athletes’ perceptions of coach transformational leadership behaviours, coach–athlete relationship quality, team psychological safety, flourishing and thriving. A covariance-based structural equation modelling was employed. The analysis indicated that coach transformational leadership served as an antecedent to both team psychological safety and coach–athlete relationship quality. The analysis further highlighted that both relationship quality and psychological safety predicted athletes’ flourishing and in turn thriving. Collectively, these findings suggest that coaches as leaders have a significant role to play in creating an environment that athletes feel valued, connected, confident and comfortable. In such environments, coaching becomes a process where coaches and athletes are fully integrated and sport becomes a worthwhile (inter)personal pursuit.