Neurocognitive and Relational Mechanisms Underlying Player Status and Team Performance in Elite Junior Handball

Abstract

The present study investigates the role of the coach–athlete relationship (CAR) in shaping individual player status and collective team performance in youth handball. In addition, the study explores CAR as a potential contextual factor influencing cognitive and decision-making processes in sport performance. The sample consisted of 270 athletes (aged 13–19 years) from 18 teams competing in the Romanian National Handball Championship. The coach–athlete relationship was assessed using the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q; 3+1C model: closeness, commitment, and complementarity), alongside objective indicators of team performance (final ranking and win rate). The results revealed strong intercorrelations among CAR dimensions, supporting the coherence of the construct. No significant associations were identified between CAR and collective team performance, and regression analyses indicated a lack of predictive capacity in this regard. However, significant differences were observed between starting and rotation players, with starters reporting higher levels of closeness, commitment, and complementarity. Furthermore, CAR emerged as a significant predictor of player status, while age was not significant, although a negative association between age and relationship quality was identified. These findings suggest that the coach–athlete relationship plays a relevant role in differentiating individual player status and may contribute to performance through indirect, cognitively mediated mechanisms, rather than directly influencing collective outcomes. The study highlights the importance of relational dynamics in athlete development and supports a multidimensional perspective on performance in team sports.