Interaction and Sportsmanship · Dimension 18 of 20

Relationships

The capacity to develop supportive connections, communicate openly and engage positively with teammates, coaches, competitors and the wider sporting community.

ConnectionCommunicationSocial supportTeam belonging

18of 20 dimensions

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Understanding relationships

Performance develops within a network of sporting relationships.

Athletes rely on coaches, teammates, training partners, family and support staff for information, challenge, encouragement and practical help. Strong relationships make it easier to communicate honestly, coordinate effort and remain connected during difficulty.

Relationship skill involves initiating contact, showing interest, listening and contributing to other people. It also includes addressing disagreement directly and respectfully rather than allowing frustration or misunderstanding to accumulate.

Athletes differ in how much social interaction they prefer. Effective relationship-building does not require being highly outgoing; it requires reliable, respectful engagement and a willingness to communicate when connection matters.

Dimension video

Watch: Relationships in sport

Explore how communication, trust and social support contribute to teamwork, wellbeing and sustained development.

Relationships and communication in sport

Watch on YouTube ↗

Why it matters

Strong relationships create trust, support and coordinated performance.

Communication and learning

Open relationships make feedback easier to exchange, questions easier to ask and misunderstandings easier to resolve.

Belonging and wellbeing

Reliable connection helps athletes feel valued and supported through injury, selection setbacks and difficult periods.

Team coordination

Trust and familiarity allow people to anticipate one another, share responsibility and respond effectively under pressure.

How relationship skill may appear

Look for patterns, not labels.

When relationships are a strength

Initiates contact and makes time for face-to-face conversation
Shows genuine interest in teammates and coaches
Communicates concerns before they become entrenched
Offers and accepts support during difficult periods
Maintains connections across different roles and backgrounds

When it may need development

Waits for other people to initiate nearly every interaction
Withdraws when disappointed, stressed or in conflict
Communicates mainly about immediate tasks and results
Allows small misunderstandings to damage trust
Has few sources of support outside one sporting relationship

Balance matters: strong relationships do not mean constant social contact or avoiding difficult conversations. Athletes need privacy, boundaries and independence as well as connection. Quality, trust and reliability matter more than the size of a network.

Developing relationships

Six practical ways to build stronger sporting connections.

Initiate regular contact

Arrange brief face-to-face conversations with people you value rather than relying entirely on messages and chance encounters.

Show specific interest

Ask about another person’s training, role or circumstances and listen closely enough to follow up later.

Contribute before you need help

Offer encouragement, information or practical support so the relationship is reciprocal rather than activated only by need.

Address tension early

Raise concerns privately, describe the behaviour and impact, listen to the other view and agree a constructive next step.

Broaden your support network

Maintain connections inside and outside sport so support, perspective and identity do not depend on one person or group.

Stay connected through setbacks

Resist the urge to isolate after injury, non-selection or poor performance. Tell trusted people what kind of support would help.

Complete a relationship map

List the people who provide coaching, challenge, practical help, emotional support and wider perspective. Identify one important relationship that needs attention and plan a specific conversation or action for the coming week.

Explore the SPQ20 ↗

Relationships in practice

Build connection before you need to rely on it.

Trust grows through repeated small behaviours: keeping commitments, listening, sharing information, acknowledging effort and addressing problems honestly. These habits create relationships that can withstand pressure and disagreement.

Relationship-building should continue when performance is going well. If athletes wait until injury, conflict or disappointment to make contact, support may feel harder to request and provide.

“It doesn’t matter what the scoreboard says. I’m always having fun and talking to other guys.”

Albert Pujols · Baseball player

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”

Phil Jackson · Basketball coach

Discover your profile

Find out where you stand on Relationships.

The SPQ20 measures Relationships alongside 19 other personality and mental-skill dimensions to provide a connected picture of your mental game.

Assess my mental game ↗Learn about the SPQ20