Abstract
The complex and unpredictable nature of sport competitions causes athletic coaches to experience a substantial amount of anxiety, which can be detrimental to their well-being and performance. Therefore, it is important to identify the psychological process of how coaches manage their anxiety. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between the four different cognitive appraisals, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion among coaches. To accomplish this objective, 203 head coaches in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I were recruited to complete an online questionnaire. The findings indicate that the goal incongruence appraisal positively predicts reported anxiety, whereas the coping efficacy appraisal negatively predicts it. Furthermore, reported anxiety is positively associated with subjective ratings of emotional exhaustion. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the cognitive appraisal process of emotion by demonstrating how different appraisals are associated with anxiety. Additionally, the finding can help coaches use more effective cognitive appraisals to enhance their emotional experience.