Perception of interpersonal relationships between students and sports coaches in Piura, Peru

Abstract

Background: In Peru, current laws require universities to integrate complementary sports services in order to obtain institutional licensing. However, the scarcity of information makes it difficult to understand behaviour among athletes and coaches. The objective of the study is to analyse the interpersonal behaviour between athletes and coaches at the Universidad Nacional de Frontera, Sullana, Peru, 2023. The study was a non-experimental, descriptive study based on a quantitative approach. A total of 85 athletes involved in one of the sports disciplines offered by the university participated. The valid and reliable Interpersonal Behaviour Perceptions (IBQ) scale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.913) was applied. The results reveal that football (31.8%), volleyball (30.6%) and basketball (18.8%) are the most practiced disciplines and are related to the gender of the participants (p < .016), whose ages range from 18 to 23 years. In addition, athletes value the support of coaches in decision-making but show neutrality in perceived empowerment. There is resistance towards pressure and discrepancies in emotional support and comfort from the coach. In conclusion, positive interpersonal behaviour is observed between athletes and coaches at the Universidad Nacional de Frontera, Sullana, Peru.