Expectations and coaching experience: is more better?
Based on educational research, Horn and Lox (1993) created a four-step model of the expectation-performance interaction in the sport domain to explain the process of the self-fulfilling prophecy. Initially, coaches form expectations of their athletes’ physical ability utilizing available information, such as personal (i.e., physical appearance, ethnicity, and gender) and performance cues (i.e., practice behaviors, past performances, and skills tests) (Horn & Lox, 1993; Martinek, Crowe, & Rejeski, 1982). The influence of these personal and performance-based impressions can impact coach behavior with regard to the type, amount, and quality of feedback issued. When coach perceptions of an athlete are consistently communicated and understood by the athlete they can impact the athlete’s future performance and psychological growth in a positive or negative manner. If the athlete’s behavior is altered to conform to the coach’s original expectation, it may reinforce the coach’s original assess
