Project Summary
This project was designed to examine the impact of coaching on athlete outcomes in youth sport. The research focused on both the perceptions and behaviors of the coach, and assessed sporting and non-sporting (i.e., positive youth development) outcomes of the athletes. To maximize the applicability of results to the Canadian sporting culture, efforts were made to collect data within the three different youth sport streams determined by the Coaching Association of Canada – competitive, community and instructional sports.
Research Methods
A sample of 352 athletes and their coaches (N = 47) participated in this study. Coaches completed the Coaching Efficacy Scale (CES) and Revised Leadership Scale for Sports (RLSS). Athletes completed the Coaching Behavior Scale for Sports (CBS-S) and Youth Experiences Survey (YES). The CES measures confidence coaches have in four interrelated areas – motivation, strategy, teaching technique, and character building. The RLSS measures the frequency of four different coaching behaviors – training and instruction, positive feedback, social support, and situational consideration; and two different decision making styles – autocratic and democratic.
All scales are answered on via close ended Likert-type questions. The CES and RLSS have been supported with respect to their validity, reliability, and psychometric properties. One of the objectives of the research was to validate the YES and CBS-S.
Research Results
The YES and CBS-S were both analyzed for psychometric properties (e.g., internal reliability, factor structure). In both cases and reduced version of the scale was validated.
It was found that there is a significant relationship between coaches self perceptions (i.e., coaching efficacy) and their behaviors (e.g., training and instruction and positive feedback). Further, there were significant relationships between coaches efficacy and their perceptions of their own behavior and athlete assessments of coaching behavior. Finally, preliminary analyses showed that positive youth development may be an outcome of coaching in youth sport.
Policy Implications
These findings may be applicable to coaching education material that is distributed by the National Coaching Certification Program.
Next Steps
These findings may be applicable to coaching education material that is distributed by the National Coaching Certification Program.
Key Stakeholders and Benefits
- Coaching Association of Canada
- National Coaching Certification Program