Two experiments examined Smoll and Smith\u27s (1989) model of leadership behaviors in sport. The coaching behaviors of a male head coach of a collegiate women\u27s basketball team (n=11 players) were examined. The data supported competitive trait anxiety as an individual-difference variable that mediates athletes\u27 perception and evaluation of coaching behaviors. There also was support for adding athletes\u27 state cognitive anxiety, state self-confidence and perception of the coach\u27s cognitive anxiety to the model as individual-difference variables. Athletes who scored high in trait anxiety (p\u3c.001) and state cognitive anxiety (p\u3c.05) and low in state self-confidence (p\u3c.05), and athletes who perceived the coach as high in state cognitive anxiety (p\u3c.001), evaluated coaching behavior more negatively. Game outcome may influence the effect of self-confidence in mediating athletes\u27 perception and evaluation of coaching behaviors. Additionally, athletes perceived several specific coaching behaviors more negatively than did the coach, and athletes drastically overestimated their coach\u27s self-reported pregame cognitive and somatic anxiety and underestimated his self-confidence. Overall, the results suggest that coaches should be more supportive and less negative with high anxious and low self-confident athletes
