BACKGROUND: Verbal coach encouragement is a key motivational strategy that enhances skill development, game strategy execution, and team cohesion. In youth basketball, where players are still developing technical and decision-making abilities, coach encouragement can play a crucial role in sustaining effort, improving focus, and fostering resilience under small-sided games (SSGs). This study investigated how coach encouragement (CE) influences young basketball players' technical performance and psychophysiological responses during competitive gameplay. METHODS: Sixteen male basketball players (age = 15.19 ± 1.05 years) voluntarily participated in the study. Heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, mood states and technical activities were recorded with coach encouragement and without coach encouragement during SSGs. RESULTS: The results showed that SSGs with coach encouragement were associated with significantly higher heart rate (p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.69), maximum heart rate percentage (p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.15), ratings of perceived exertion (p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.69), enjoyment (p ≤ 0.007, d = 0.86), technical abilities (e.g., successful passes and shots; p ≤ 0.05, d ranging from 1.08 to 1.25), and fatigue (p ≤ 0.03, d = 1.47). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the importance of CE in improving the psychophysiological and technical abilities of young basketball players during SSGs. CE improves coach-athlete relationships and increases game performance.

Department of Movement Sciences and Sports Training School of Sport Science The University of Jordan Amman Jordan

Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Department of Psychiatry College of Medicine and Medical Sciences Arabian Gulf University Manama Bahrain

Department of Psychiatry Ministry of Health Manama Bahrain

Department of Public Health Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Department of Rehabilitation Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Department of Rehabilitation University Hospital Brno Brno Czechia

Department of Training and Movement Science Institute of Sport Science Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Mainz Germany

Faculty of Sports Sciences Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University Tokat Türkiye

High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax University of Sfax Sfax Tunisia

Research Laboratory Education Motricity Sport and Health EM2S LR19JS01 University of Sfax Sfax Tunisia

Research Laboratory Molecular Bases of Human Pathology LR19ES13 Sfax Tunisia

School of Physical Education and Sports Osmaniye Korkut Ata University Osmaniye Türkiye

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