A case study of the emotional aspects of the coach-athlete relationship in tennis

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate if the concept of transference developed by the psychodynamic approach is relevant to understand the emotional aspects of the coach-athlete relationship. METHOD: Participant is a 23 years old female professional tennis player. Four interviews were carried out and interpretation was made through a case study analysis. RESULTS: The case study gives an insight into her personal history of past relationships and how transference was central in her relationships with coaches. An examination of her past relationships and her current relationships with coaches demonstrated that transference operated in repetition of unsuccessful relationships. CONCLUSION: It is important to analyse in depth the origins of the quality and development of coach-athlete relationship. The tennis player's stories illustrate the usefulness of taking a psychodynamic approach to understanding the lives of athletes.