Abstract:

Aim of this study was to examine martial arts athletes’ relationships with their coaches and the perceived leadership styles of their coaches in terms of gender, age and duration of their participation in martial arts. The sample consisted of 132 male, 72 female and 204 in total martial arts participants. Data were collected by simple random sampling method. Perception of Leadership Behavior part of Leadership Scale for Sports LSS developed by Chelladurai and Saleh 1980 8, and Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire CARTQ developed by Jowett and Ntoumanis 2004 23 were employed as data collection tools. ANOVA findings depicted that male, older than 18 years old and experienced athletes perceived more autocratic behavior of their coaches than female, 17 and younger, and less experienced athletes. In addition, less experienced athletes perceived more positive feedback than experienced athletes. In Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire, only significant difference was detected in age. Younger athletes felt their coaches closer to them than older counterparts. In conclusion; age, gender, and participation duration are determinants of differences in perceiving coaches’ leadership. This information can benefit sports psychologists or coaches on identifying and instructing their groups effectively

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