Relationship between coach-athlete relationship, resilience and anxiety among junior players of state-accredited ice hockey academies in Hungary

Abstract

The coach–athlete relationship (CAR) is central to athletes’ psychosocial functioning, yet little is known about whether athletes form distinct relational profiles and how these relate to resilience and competitive anxiety. Drawing on the 3C model of CAR and stress-appraisal theory, this study examined (a) whether youth athletes can be grouped into homogeneous CAR profiles and (b) whether these profiles differ in resilience, cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence. Participants were 202 youth ice hockey players from Hungarian state-accredited academies who completed validated measures of CAR (CART-Q), resilience (CD-RISC-10), and competitive anxiety (CSAI-2). Latent Profile Analysis identified four distinct CAR profiles - Partnership, Indifferent, Distanced, and Alienated. Profiles showed meaningful differences in resilience, with the Partnership group reporting the strongest adaptive capacity. They also differed in somatic anxiety and self-confidence, with Partnership athletes reporting lower physiological arousal and higher confidence. Cognitive anxiety did not differ across profiles, suggesting that worry is less influenced by relational quality. These results highlight that athletes experience CAR in qualitatively different ways, with distinct implications for coping and emotional functioning. The findings underscore that athletes differ meaningfully in their relational experiences with the coach, making person-centered approaches essential for accurately understanding how coach–athlete relationships relate to resilience and competitive anxiety. By highlighting distinct relational profiles, the study demonstrates that effective coaching requires both tailored interpersonal strategies and the professional competences needed to adapt communication, support, and structure to individual athletes.