Shattered Strings: Unveiling Emotionally Abusive Coaching Experiences Among Elite Female Tennis Players
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Emotional abuse within sport, particularly within the coach-athlete relationship, is a complex and often hidden form of harm that can profoundly impact an athlete’s well-being and development (Kerr et al., 2020). Despite growing awareness of athlete maltreatment, emotional abuse continues to be minimized and misinterpreted as part of “tough” coaching, despite increasing research attention (Stirling & Kerr, 2008a). The purpose of this study was to examine how emotionally abusive coaching experiences were understood and navigated by retired, elite female tennis players, offering insight into the complex dynamics between coaches and athletes in an individual, high-performance sport. Specifically, (1) How do these athletes describe the emotionally abusive tactics and behaviours of their coaches, and how did these experiences shape their feelings and well-being during their careers? As well as (2) How do these athletes interpret and give meaning to their experiences with emotionally abusive coaching? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five retired, elite female tennis players who had experienced emotionally abusive coaching throughout their careers. Themes were organized into a timeline to highlight different points of experiencing emotional abuse throughout their athletic careers. Athletes discussed specific abusive coaching tactics (e.g., yelling, manipulation), their lived emotional experiences (e.g., feeling trapped and silenced, feeling confused), the impacts and consequences (e.g., lasting loss of confidence, a loss of love for tennis), and the sense-making and healing athletes did after the abuse (e.g., normalizing the abuse, healing journeys). These findings suggest emotionally abusive tennis coaching is normalized by culture, causing lasting psychological consequences beyond athletes’ careers.
Author: Shea, Emma
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Gender equality
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214882470