Role ambiguity and athlete satisfaction

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between athletes' perceptions of role ambiguity and satisfaction. The relationship between these multidimensional constructs was investigated at the beginning and at the end of the season, as well as from early season to end of season. Consistent with the a prioi hypothesis, concurrent analyses revealed lower perceived role ambiguity was associated with higher athlete satisfaction. Specifically, role ambiguity, as represented by the dimension Scope of Responsibilities on offence, was significantly related to the leadership facets of athlete satisfaction (i.e. ability utilization, strategy, and training/instruction) both at the beginning and at the end of the season. However, contrary to expectations, role ambiguity at the beginning of the season was not predictive of athlete satisfaction at the end of the season. The implications of the results are discussed and future research is suggested.