Examination of Relationships Between Badminton Athletes’ Perfect Performance Levels in Sports and Their Perceived Coach Leadership, Coach- Athlete Relationship and Coach Communication Skills

Background Sports performance is influenced not only by physical abilities but also by psychological and social factors. Coaches’ leadership style, the quality of coach–athlete relationships, and communication skills can play a critical role in athletes’ development and performance. This study examined the relationship between badminton players’ excellence in sport and their perceptions of coaching leadership, coach–athlete relationships, and coaching communication skills, considering demographic variables. Methods A correlational and descriptive survey design was employed with 374 active badminton players. Data were collected using the Scale of Excellence in Sports, the Coach–Athlete Relationship Inventory, the Leadership Scale for Sports, the Coach Communication Scale, and a Personal Information Form. Analyses were conducted in SPSS 25.0. Normality tests indicated non-normal distribution; therefore, Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests were used to examine group differences, and Spearman’s rank correlation was applied for relational analyses Results A weak negative relationship was found between athletes’ excellence in sport and the overall coach–athlete relationship, particularly in the closeness and commitment dimensions, while complementarity showed no significant association. Similarly, weak negative relationships emerged between excellence and the leadership scale and its sub-dimensions. No significant relationship was found between communication skills and performance levels. Differences in perceptions of leadership and communication were observed across gender, education, and sports participation levels. Conclusions The findings suggest that high-performing badminton players evaluate coach–athlete relationships and leadership styles more functionally and with a performance orientation, while communication skills appear less influential. These results provide evidence-based insights for coaching strategies aimed at enhancing athlete performance and contribute to the literature on athlete development in individual sports.