Attachment theory and coaching

The aim of attachment theory has largely been to explain how relationships with parents in childhood have such a persistent effect on personality development. The focus of attachment theory has subsequently been extended from child to adolescent and adult development and social relationships within the context of both contemporary personality and social psychology. Attachment has been viewed as a natural phenomenon sought by all human beings. Subsequently, the theory postulates that, whereas successful bids for proximity and connectedness with warm, kind, dependable, and encouraging attachment figures are important for optimal functioning, the loss of such proximity and connection can be a natural source of distress and psychosocial dysfunction.

In sport and exercise psychology, attachment theory has recently been used to understand (a) how athletes and coaches perceive and cope with fears and anxieties, injuries, and performance slumps; and (b) how personal relationships (parent–athlete or parent–child) and social relationships (coach–athlete, athlete–athlete) help their members to either flourish or diminish. The appeal of attachment theory to explain a whole host of research questions has sparked research within sport and exercise psychology that has the potential to advance theory, measurement, and practice, as seen in work by Sam Carr and Neil Fitzpatrick and by Louise Davis and Sophia Jowett.