Investigation of coach behaviors according to badminton athletes

This research aimed to examine coaches' behaviors from the perspective of badminton players using a multidimensional approach. 300 amateur and professional badminton players from the Marmara region evaluated their coaches' behaviors through the Coaching Behavior Scale for Sport (CBS-S). In the study, which adopted a cross-sectional survey model, participants were determined by random sampling method. The CBS-S measures coaches' attitudes and behaviors in seven main dimensions such as physical training and planning, technical skill instruction, mental preparation, goal setting, competition strategy determination, positive and negative behaviors. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in some dimensions between players' perceptions of coach behavior and their gender, age, and employment status. The findings showed that male players perceived their coaches' behaviors more positively than female players in the dimensions of training and conditioning, mental preparation, goal setting, and positive coach behavior. When age groups were compared, players aged 18 and above evaluated their coaches more positively in the dimensions of goal setting and positive coach behavior compared to other groups. Additionally, employed players found their coaches' behaviors more positive in the training and conditioning dimension compared to unemployed players. In conclusion, this study points to both positive reflections of badminton coaches' behaviors on players and some areas for improvement. The study showed that coaches being more effective in physical training and planning, mental preparation, goal setting, and positive behaviors could positively influence players' perceptions. However, it is also important for coaches to adopt a sensitive approach to gender, age, and players' situations. In the future, designing coach education programs considering these findings and strengthening coaches' specific competencies could contribute to increasing player satisfaction and performance.