LEADERSHIP IN SPORT AND SELF ESTEEM IN ADOLESCENT ATHLETES

Children and adolescents are in their own way to build personality, as biological, psychological and social characteristics. The environment has an important role for a balanced growth. Settings like school and other educational centers are relevant for youth since in such contexts they spend a large part of their time and have significant experiences with adults and peers. Thus, the influence of teachers and sport coaches in adolescents’ development has to be taken into consideration. It is fundamental for them to have the right instruments to facilitate the balanced growth of young people. The focus of this review is on sport environment and the role of coaches in fostering athletes’ motivation and self esteem. A lot of research show how coach’s behavior has an impact on motivation to do sport but also on building a good level of self-esteem in adolescents. Different types of leadership behavior have been defined and different impacts on self esteem and motivation have been measured. Our review take into consideration the literature on this topic.