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Purpose: To describe how high-level European sprint coaches (from 100 to 400 m) work to improve important factors associated with the quality of the holistic training process and the quality of the specific training session. Methods: A descriptive analysis was conducted using questionnaires from 31 European elite sprint coaches (ie, training athletes defined as tiers 3, 4, and 5) who participated voluntarily. Results: The coaches used traditional periodization (45%) with a 10- to 15-day tapering phase (48%) that includes a reduction in volume, maintenance of intensity, and focus on correct technical execution. In the 3 mesophases, coaches prioritized the basic development of strength and sprint work in the first phases of the season and emphasized more sprint-specific work in the competitive phase. Before sessions, adjustments were made based on factors such as psychological (77%), technical (48%), and physical (39%) parameters. In-session load management relies on a combination of objective and subjective measures (55%), in which the dialogue with athletes (65%) was regarded as the main resource. Feedback during and after sessions covers technical (54%), psychological (48%), and physical (35%) aspects. Recovery protocols after sessions mainly involve rest and professional guidance (42%). For performance assessment and testing, coaches utilize countermovement jump (52%), force–velocity profile (45%), and 30-m flying (61%) as main tools. Conclusions: European sprint coaches demonstrated a comprehensive approach to planning and management, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of their training methodologies and the diverse tools employed for athlete testing and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite Title IX regulations, gender discriminatory practices in college sports continue to affect athletes, coaches, and administrative personnel at various levels. One manifestation of gender discrimination could affect the differential promotion of coaches via social media channels. This study investigates how NCAA Division I coaches across nine intercollegiate women's sports are promoted on Instagram. We collected and analyzed a total of 649 Instagram posts from 98 official accounts of athletic departments across all 10 NCAA Division I-FBS conferences. Our findings indicate equitable promotion of female and male coaches for the same sports on social media. This suggests that social media could be disrupting the gender stereo-types that are deeply ingrained within the coaching profession and hinder women's progress in sports. Future research steps and Title IX implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NCAA Division I team sport head coaches typically end their coaching roles by taking a more prestigious and lucrative position, or by being fired. These differences in the nature of the leadership change suggest differences in programmatic conditions at the time of change. How a leader leaves the program undoubtedly reverberates through the program resulting in coaches, players, administrators, and fans with varying levels of satisfaction. While literature is replete with the impact of leadership changes, there is little evidence to distinguish among nature of change, and strong evidence that a negative head coaching change precedes athletic and academic decline. Thus, this study investigated 414 NCAA Division I team--sport head coaching changes using a variety of athletic and academic variables to determine what best predicts specific types of coaching changes. Results indicated athletic success has the strongest relationship and is most predictive, as expected, particularly in revenue sports. Other noteworthy findings, however, revealed female coaches have less negative coaching changes than males, and that hiring an alum or having a high Academic Progress Rate predicted a negative change. These findings reveal there are variables beyond winning that influence the nature of change and establish patterns that could assist administrators in times of transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nine Canadian competitive youth sport coaches' challenges and successes in creating safer and more inclusive sport spaces were explored through individual pre- and postseason interviews and an in-season reflective portfolio of their coaching experiences. From a story analyst approach, the central narrative theme of "it's my responsibility to enact change" was identified. A storyteller approach was then used to communicate the meanings of the central theme as accessible creative nonfiction composite stories: When is it okay to intervene?; burning out ... it's consuming me; and breaking through ... it's necessary work. Building on previous research, the findings demonstrate how coaches' critical praxes shift on a continuum of awareness and advocacy. The creative nonfictions may be used by coach educators and mental performance consultants to help coaches and leaders in sport assess their critical praxes toward challenging social issues in sport and acting in ways that support advocacy and empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure that head coaches are effective in leading athletic programs, interscholastic athletic directors engage in a performance appraisal process that reviews coaching efforts. Given the demands of the athletic director role, these leaders are reliant on stakeholders to provide insight that informs the coaching evaluation. Therefore, using the tenets of stakeholder theory, the purpose of this study was to analyze the role that stakeholder feedback plays as athletic directors develop the full picture of coaching performance during an evaluation. Participants (N = 25) featured high school athletic directors represented across school classification (i.e., 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A) and school type (i.e., public and private). Through semistructured interviews and a subsequent thematic analysis, saturation was achieved at this sample size. Two main themes (i.e., main stakeholder groups and leveraging stakeholder feedback) emerged and demonstrate how key stakeholders should be considered as important sources of information guiding interscholastic athletic directors when leading coaching evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workaholism (i.e., working excessively and compulsively) is associated with negative physical, psychological, and social consequences. Researchers have previously examined antecedents of workaholism, but the experiences of sport coaches have not yet been investigated. This study explored (a) differences in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I coaches' workaholism, as well as need satisfaction and frustration based on gender, coaching role, gender of athletes coached, age, and years of coaching experience; and (b) how coaches' perceptions of their three basic psychological needs are associated with tendencies to work excessively and compulsively. A total of 873 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I coaches participated in the research. Data analyses revealed significant differences in participants' workaholism as well as need satisfaction and frustration. Structural equation modeling indicated a significant relationship between reported levels of workaholism and perceptions of the three needs. Findings illustrate the importance of basic psychological needs in preventing coaches' workaholism and maintain optimal functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does nature still matter in sport? In the balancing between natural and scientific training, Swedish upper-secondary ski schools have played an important role. This paper deals with specific landscape features for testing at three Swedish ski schools: Hallstatestet in Sollefteå, Hovfjällsracet in Torsby, and Stoltjonastestet in Järpen. The following questions will be addressed: How do the coaches at each school use local tests to analyze performance? How is the importance of local tests articulated, and what roles do history and nature play in this process? The paper concludes that the use of local landscapes to articulate elite performance connects ideas of measurability and scientization to the lingering tradition of natural training. Local landscapes thereby become a mediator between scientific and experiential knowledge about sport performance and point out how local sport heritage can be used for addressing environmental issues in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coaches play an instrumental role in the experiences of youth sport participants. Though girls participate in youth sport at similar rates as boys, coaching positions continue to be dominated by men. Existing research supports the value of diverse role models, especially for culturally diverse youth, and women coaches of color are especially important in sport given the low participation rates of ethnocultural minorities. Given the importance of diverse role models as sport coaches, this study investigates the experiences of women of color who coach sport at the recreational level. Based on interviews with 14 individuals, and grounded in socioecological theory, our findings describe the experience of research participants at each level (individual, interpersonal, organizational, and sociocultural) with a focus on the entry experience, barriers, and supports. Findings suggest that gendered and racial norms influence experiences across the model, and further lead to practical implications for sport managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coaches' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about mental health—or mental health literacy (MHL)—affect teams' mental health climates and the detection, referral, and treatment of athletes' mental health concerns. Thus, assessing collegiate coaches' MHL, and factors related to its presence, is critical. Using the Mental Health Literacy Scale, 1,571 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) coaches were surveyed regarding their MHL and demographic and mental health experience factors. Overall, 99.9% of the coaches surveyed believe that athletes' mental health affected their sport performances. Through hierarchical regression analyses, coaches' exposure to mental health treatment, perceived helpfulness of mental health treatment, gender (i.e., woman), years coaching (i.e., fewer years), and current NCAA division (i.e., Division III) were significantly related to their MHL, explaining 15.5% of variance. However, coaches' race/ethnicity did not reach significance. Recommendations regarding increasing coaches' MHL and hiring appropriately trained and licensed mental health and sport psychology professionals are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study represents the first comprehensive qualitative systematic review on sport coaches' and teachers' perceptions and application of Game-Based Approaches (GBA) and Constraints-Led Approach (CLA). From searching 12 electronic academic databases from 1982 to 2020, 29 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-study. Data revealed studies were conducted in several different countries, and case study design was the predominant methodology. The main data collection method reported was cross-sectional interviews. There were inconsistencies in the quality of reporting methodologies, sampling procedures, data analysis, and assessing quality. The meta-theory analysis identified weaknesses in the methodological and conceptual approaches, and a low number of studies stated philosophical perspectives. The meta-synthesis identified assumptions about learning, pedagogical knowledge and skills, content knowledge, and support as the overarching themes reported to impact coaches' and teachers' perceptions and application of GBAs and CLA. Finally, some recommendations for future research and practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate coaches' experience of the reROOT program, a program aiming to increase coaches' autonomy-supportive skills, structure, and involvement. We delivered the program to 32 university sports coaches, and of these coaches, 13 participated in three semistructured focus groups 2 weeks postprogram and discussed their experience of the program. Guiding questions aimed at assessing participants' responsiveness to the program and its perceived usefulness. Classical content analyses were performed and organized based on the guiding questions when applicable. Results suggest that coaches appreciated the program, believed that they could implement its skills in their day-to-day coaching, and observed positive impacts on themselves and their athletes despite the COVID-19 pandemic. It thus appears that coaches are responsive to the reROOT program and that it could be a useful part of their training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a person-centered approach, this study was conducted to identify (a) specific athlete profiles in terms of degree of discrepancy between their self-appraisals and the reflected appraisals of their coach and (b) the relations between these profiles and athlete burnout. Athletes (N = 369; Mage = 21.15 years) fulfilled measures of self-appraisals, reflected appraisals of their coach, and burnout. Latent profile analysis allowed the identification of three profiles: concordance (84%), positive discrepancy (11%), and negative discrepancy (5%). Analyses revealed relationships between athletes' profile membership and the three dimensions of burnout: emotional and physical exhaustion, sport devaluation, and reduced sense of accomplishment. More specifically, results indicated that athletes with a positive discrepancy profile (i.e., who rated themselves more positively than they think their coaches see them) were more at risk of burnout. This study contributes to existing research on psychosocial determinants of athlete burnout in the context of the coach–athlete relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined levels of emotional exhaustion, a key symptom of burnout, in Swedish professional and semiprofessional sport coaches in comparison to the normative values specified in the Maslach Burnout Inventory manual, and to the clinical cutoffs developed by Kleijweg, Verbraak, and Van Dijk. The sample contained 318 Swedish coaches (Mage = 42.7 years, 12% female) working at least 50% full time away from both team (60%) and individual (40%) sports. Our study shows that, in general, coaches in this sample experience lower average levels of exhaustion than normative samples both regarding the Maslach Burnout Inventory and clinical cutoffs. Two groups of coaches did, however, stand out. Coaches living in single households as well as coaches working part time had higher risk of severe levels of emotional exhaustion. These results place coach exhaustion levels in relation to other occupations and highlight that in this sample, the coaching profession does not stand out as more emotionally exhausting than other occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football season, eight of the 65 Power-5 head coaches were Black. The racial composition of assistant coaches, however, was nearly 50% Black and 50% White. While the head coach of a Power-5 football team serves as the leader of the program, the 10 assistant coaches permitted by the NCAA oversee a variety of critical roles; the most valuable of which is recruiting. This study extends previous work by examining the racial composition of Power-5 football coaching staffs and recruiting responsibilities through the lens of racial tasking. An analysis of Power-5 football recruiting classes from 2019 and 2020 illustrates that assistant coaches are tasked with recruiting prospective athletes racially similar to themselves 58% of the time. Furthermore, Black assistant coaches are disproportionately tasked with recruiting Black recruits and higher rated recruits (i.e., five- and four-star) compared to their White counterparts. We contend such racialized responsibilities and expectations may affect opportunities for advancement among Black assistant coaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistant coaches play an important role in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletic departments and spend substantial amounts of time working with student-athletes, yet no research to date has examined their knowledge of mental performance and mental health services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to learn about NCAA Division I assistant coaches' understanding and use of mental performance and mental health services. Thirteen assistant coaches employed at universities with at least one mental performance consultant and one licensed mental health provider were interviewed. Thematic analysis procedures were used, and five themes were constructed: (a) day-to-day responsibilities of the assistant coach, (b) needing both mental performance and mental health services, (c) factors influencing understanding of mental performance and mental health services, (d) factors impacting student-athlete utilization of mental performance and mental health services, and (e) confusion between mental performance and mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research looking into youth sport coaching indicates that a majority of coaches may also be a parent to an athlete on their team. While previous studies have also sought to understand how being a parent–coach might affect parents' relationships with their own child(ren), little work appears to explore how occupying this role might affect an individual's ability to remain effective as a coach. As such, 14 parent–coaches were interviewed to examine how they perceived their dual role to influence their coaching effectiveness and to hear what strategies they used to remain effective. Interviews were analyzed thematically, and findings indicated that parent–coaches have few formalized resources to aid them in navigating the issues associated with their challenging dual-role position. More support would be welcomed by this population to improve their effectiveness and to ensure that all developing athletes in their care continue to have positive experiences within the youth sport environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On July 1, 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association suspended its amateurism bylaw, allowing states to pass name, image, and likeness legislation. This opened the floodgates in intercollegiate athletics, allowing student-athletes to earn income and other financial incentives by engaging in sponsorships and other commercial deals with companies and organizations. Despite this, international collegiate athletes are currently prohibited from monetizing name, image, and likeness opportunities in the United States due to exclusionary restrictions on the F1 student visa status. There has been limited discourse regarding this near exclusion, leaving international collegiate athletes a silent group with few advocating for changes to ensure equity. This preliminary study investigates the perceptions of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I intercollegiate athletic practitioners and coaches on the impact this exclusion can have on a wide range of issues, including recruiting, team dynamics, and job function. Findings suggested there are five main areas where this legislative gap will have an impact, including education, finance, diversion, equity and fairness, and American exceptionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mental fatigue causes decreases in aspects of athletes' performance. Elite coaches commonly undertake cognitively demanding tasks and are seemingly at similar risk of subsequent performance impairment. However, elite sport coaches' experiences of mental fatigue, alongside other markers of psychobiological stress, have yet to be quantified. Methods: Three elite coaching and performance staff (2 women and 1 man) provided 100-mm visual analog scale ratings of mental fatigue, physical fatigue, readiness to perform, and salivary samples for later cortisol (sCort) and alpha-amylase (sAA) analysis. Data were obtained on the same morning each week across a 16-week preseason. Data were subset by individual coach for descriptive and repeated-measures correlational analyses. Results: Fluctuating mental fatigue was observed over the 16 weeks (min–max; coach 1 = 25–86 AU; coach 2 = 0–51 AU; and coach 3 = 15 − 76 AU). Elevated levels of mental fatigue were reported at multiple time points, with individual variability observed. sCort (in nanomoles per liter), sAA (in micromoles per liter), and sAA:sCort indicated that coaches experienced psychophysiological stress (min–max; coach 1 sCort = 8.42–17.31, sAA = 52.40–113.06, sAA:sCort = 3.20–12.80; coach 2 sCort = 4.20–9.70, sAA = 158.80–307.20, sAA:sCort = 21.10–61.70; and coach 3 sCort = 6.81−19.66, sAA = 86.55–495.85, sAA:sCort = 4.90–35.50). A significant inverse relationship between mental fatigue and readiness to perform (r = −.44 [−.64 to −.17], P =.002) was identified. Conclusions: Elite sport coaches report elevated instances of mental fatigue during a preseason training period. Those involved in elite sports should act to understand the presence and potential subsequent impacts of staff mental fatigue and consider management or mitigation strategies. Optimization of the cognitive performance of coaches and performance staff presents as a potential source of competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate (a) if a coaching clinic (CC) impacted student-coaches' behavior and academic learning time during a basketball Sport Education season and (b) if 3v3 game performance improved as a function of the coaching clinic. Method: Preservice teachers (n = 85) were randomly assigned to a CC or a comparison group and taught a 16-lesson Sport Education-based basketball season. The CC group received a coaching clinic in which student-coaches were introduced to core instructional skills, including task organization, task presentation, and delivering congruent feedback. Results: For both groups, coaching time significantly increased from 11.5% to 34.1%, p =.02, as well as cognitive learner involvement, p <.01. CC coaches provided significantly more demonstrations, p <.02. Players in the CC group had significantly greater improvement in 3v3 game play, p =.01. Conclusion: The clinic positively impacted student-coaches' demonstrations, which likely contributed to improved 3v3 performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing interest in the role sports coaches are expected to play in supporting the mental health of elite and sub-elite athletes. This paper presents the first single-sport, mixed-methods, study of UK athletics coaches' mental health literacy (MHL). We extend previous quantitative survey-based UK studies by incorporating the qualitative lived experiences of coaches into the analysis. We explore coaches' knowledge of mental health and illness, experience of mental health training, and willingness to support athletes with mental illness. An online survey of 184 UK athletics coaches revealed that MHL was highest among women, younger coaches, and coaches with less experience. No statistical differences were found between MHL score and disability, sexuality or region in which coaches worked. Interviews held with a sub-sample of 25 survey respondents revealed a lack of clear consensus about what constitutes mental health and mental illness, and that coaches' everyday views of these did not always correspond with formal definitions or conceptualisations. Coaches' views were instead typically characterised by dominant psychological and psychiatric understandings of mental health and illness, while the significance of social relations and inequalities were often overlooked. There was a general willingness among coaches to support athlete mental health as an aspect of their duty of care, but most lacked the relevant training and understanding to do so effectively because such training was not implemented systematically within their organisational practice. Coaches' call for mandatory athletics-specific mental health training was one strategy thought to better enhance coaches' skills, knowledge and intentions to provide and seek mental health support. Important though MHL training and other sources of support is, we conclude that this is likely insufficient on its own and that there is a parallel need for multi-level, systems-wide, approaches in sport and wider society to better support the mental health of everyone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exertional heat illness (EHI) is a dangerous, but preventable and treatable condition that affects approximately 9,000 athletes each year in the United States. Unfortunately, less than 30% of schools in the United States have access to an athletic trainer, making coaches responsible for the safety of the athletes during practices and games. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, perception, and procedures of high school coaches in the United States regarding heat illness recognition, prevention, and treatment. An online survey including Likert items and open-ended questions was completed by 1,676 coaches from 16 states and compared between age, coaching experience, gender, education level, experience handling EHI, state, and the completion of either a general coaching certification or a heat safety certification. Average knowledge score among coaches was 74%. Coaches with experience handling or witnessing EHI, more years of coaching experience, older age, and the completion of a coaching certification had significantly higher level of knowledge than others. Results revealed that evidence-based strategies and state mandates aimed at preventing EHI are not being implemented. More training in prevention, recognition, and treatment of EHI is necessary for all individuals involved with high school athletes to prevent avoidable deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in evidence-based literature, this "practical advances" article presents some of the results of a 24-month coach development project codeveloped by a group of researchers and key actors from a multisport club in Brazil. Documented at three moments during the project, the perspectives of 11 members of the club showed that some learning took place at the individual (Me) and group (We) levels but probably fell short of the objective of significantly changing the culture of the organization. Achieving sustainable change in coach development requires the support not only of coaches but also of leaders who need to progressively make their organization a more "deliberate developmental organization." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents our efforts and subsequent reflections in attempting to make Foucauldian theory accessible and relevant to a group of high-performance endurance-running coaches within the context of a coach development intravention and Foucauldian inspired workshop series. Specifically, we reflect upon our efforts to introduce coaches to Foucauldian ideas and concepts such as the knowledge–power–practice triad and upon the tensions we experienced in doing so. These tensions were related to the power of the theory–practice divide to set expectations around what it means to be an effective coach developer and a high-performance coach but also in the main related to our intentions regarding a broader shift in the coaches' thinking concerning the influence of a number of social forces in the formation of their practices. We contend that coaching scholars invested in mobilizing ways of knowing underpinned by a different logic (e.g., relationally informed ways of knowing) within coaching and coach development settings would benefit from a deeper understanding of the politics of sports coaching knowledge and practice and how relations of power–knowledge impact learning within pedagogical contexts. Such an awareness, we believe, would in turn support more targeted pedagogical frameworks, practices, and strategies specifically aimed at disrupting established relations of power–knowledge and related problematic binary understandings such as the theory–practice divide which stand in the way of more diverse and ethical knowledge production processes in sports coaching and coach development work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coach education and development programmes are central to the professional development experiences of sport coaches. Typically, these programmes are structured and sequenced in a linear pathway, and present an opportunity for certification which can be a prerequisite to practice and/or employment. Increasingly, as learning becomes viewed as part of a coach's lifeworld, versus simply as a means to an end, education and development provision is beginning to reflect this. This article introduces and explores the Coach Development Institute Programme, part of the Premier League's Elite Coaching Plan, which seeks to improve the quality of football coaching in English boys'/men's football by engaging coaches in a 2-year work-based learning opportunity. Built around a core of project-based learning and assessment, coaches are supported as they examine a series of meaningful performance problems in their unique practice environments. Through this work, we demonstrate how theories, concepts, and principles from the adult education and assessment as learning literature might work as they are applied in a coach education and development context. With such sparsity of case-based examples like this within the peer-reviewed literature, we intend that our contribution could inform, promote dialogue, and raise questions about authentically supporting coaches beyond a minimum standard of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coach–athlete dyad is complex where both parties can often have contrasting perceptions of each other. The purpose of this research was to examine coaching behaviors and perceptions of the coach–athlete relationship across different age grades of rugby football union. Coaches (n = 5) and athletes (n = 78) from three separate rugby union teams (Child, Adolescent, and Adult) had their training sessions (n = 3) analyzed using the Coach Analysis and Intervention System. Athlete perceptions of their coaches' behaviors were measured via the Coaching Behavior Scale for Sport, while coach perceptions of their relationship with their athletes were measured using the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire. Prescriptive coaching styles were observed in all coaches as Coach Analysis and Intervention System results showed high levels of explicit behaviors: "instruction," "direct management," and "feedback." All coaches utilized similar time proportions within sessions for Coach Analysis and Intervention System "Practice," "Playing," and "Management" states, respectively. Questionnaire results revealed positive perceptions between coaches and athletes for all teams. Despite positive bidirectional relationships, the prescriptive coaching style displayed by all coaches may not align to best coaching practice. Development of a coach's behaviors, training content, and perceptions through coach education has the potential to enhance their athletes' sporting experience, athletic development, and sport-specific competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research highlights the need for more studies focused on how high-quality assessment strategies can contribute to coach learning in coach education. The use of e-portfolios, as formative assessment tools, has shown to contribute to student-coaches' learning in university-based programs, but studies on this topic are still scarce. The aim of this action research project is to investigate the potentialities and challenges of the e-portfolio as a formative learning-oriented assessment tool in an undergraduate sport coach course in Brazil. By sharing this, from the perspective of student-coaches and the assistant-professors of the course, we reflect on the evidence with the intention to both inform colleagues doing similar work and contribute to an emerging body of assessment in coach education literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport coaching is increasingly acknowledged as a stressful activity, especially for those coaching in community contexts. This highlights the significant need to identify the diverse sources of key stressors. The aim of this research was to explore the recurrent stressors experienced by novice coaches to better inform their coping strategies and reduce the dropout rate caused by stress. The novelty of this research lies in its longitudinal exploration of the daily hassles experienced by community sport coaches within their coaching role. Ontologically and epistemologically positioned within the interpretivist paradigm, we interviewed eight recently qualified cycling coaches over an 18-month period. Reflective thematic analysis developed three themes highlighting sources of stress over time: at the start of their participation, coaches discussed the hassles of accessing facilities and struggling to fit in; toward the end of their participation, coaches discussed feeling isolated. Results from this study can better inform the education and support delivered by national governing bodies of sport across the community and club landscape and increase sport psychology practitioners' awareness of the daily hassles experienced by coaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, athlete mental health has received increased attention from researchers; however, coaches also experience stressors that can impact their mental health. This study addressed a gap in the sport coaching literature by using a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of community sport coaches in Canada—an understudied population that makes up a large portion of the coaching workforce. Nineteen coaches from Atlantic Canada discussed stressors, coping strategies, and mental health in one-on-one semistructured interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results are presented in three higher order themes: mental health culture in sport, influences on coach mental health, and coping strategies and supports. Our findings suggest that community coaches experience a variety of stressors (e.g., interpersonal, personal, organizational) similar to elite coaches, but that the origin of stressors may be different in the community sport context. The impact of stressors can be mitigated by coaches' coping strategies, access to training and resources, and aspects of the role that support their mental health (e.g., rewarding work). Finally, these results suggest that training should address gaps in mental health literacy for coaches to support their own mental health needs as well as their athletes' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Sport Coaching Journal (ISCJ) Digest is a compilation of summaries of coaching and coach education articles from various sport-related journals. The Digest is created by volunteer academics who review and summarize relevant articles, with a focus on sport psychology and sport coaching and physical education journals. However, there is a need for more representation of sociology journals. An analysis of article titles reveals that the most common words are "coach," "coaching," "sport," "youth," "elite," and "athletes." The document also discusses trends and topics in the titles, such as youth and performance-based research. The Digest is important for coaching scholars as it provides links to literature in other fields and journals, and interested individuals are encouraged to join the Digest team to expand its scope. [Extracted from the article]

Sport is a breeding ground for exclusionary gendered discourses and this trend is evident within the coaching cultures of numerous national sports organisations in New Zealand. Drawing on an organisational case study of a New Zealand national sports organisation (NSO) data were collected through thirteen semi-structured interviews and observations with coaches and staff in the NSO. Engaging in a critical feminist approach, this paper explores the various ways in which women’s exclusion from high-performance coaching roles was maintained, reflecting critically on the extent to which hegemonic masculinity was reproduced within the organisation’s coaching history and culture. Specifically, we illustrate the ‘felt’ dimensions of gender exclusion, highlighting how women’s absence from coaching is not through choice but is reflective of the gendered power dynamics of coaching. Together, the analysis demonstrates the institutionalisation of hegemonic masculinity and the mechanisms through which this is maintained, solidified and undermined. This study, while focusing on a particular NSO, offers insights that extend to male-dominated sporting systems across New Zealand, bringing to light the challenges encountered by women coaches within high-performance sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: For years, gender inequality has conditioned women's participation in sport, exposing them to difficult situations and numerous barriers to face. However, no previous research has analyzed the situation of women in sport from the perspective of the athletes themselves, or from the perspective of the coaches, teachers or managers who work with them. Methods: This study examines the perspectives of European women athletes, sports managers, physical education teachers, and sports coaches, on gender equity in sports across six European countries: Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey. The research design was consistent with a critical realist epistemology, and the sampling method was non-probabilistic by convenience. A total of 42 female athletes (mean age: 24.37 ± 8.27 years old; mean sport experience: 6.67 ± 7.76 years) and 45 sports managers, physical education teachers or coaches (mean age: 47.00 ± 11.99 years old; mean sport experience: 9.62 ± 10.60 years), participated in six focus groups in the same countries, in groups of 6 to 10 participants per focus group. Focus groups were conducted to stimulate collective discussions, build upon and question ideas, and reach a consensus on questions drawn up by a group of experts, following previous methodologies. The data analysis involved transcribing, translating, and contextualizing the focus group recordings into English. Inductive thematic analysis, reflexive thematic analysis, and codes and themes within the data were created using NVivo 12 Pro. Results: The main topics discussed by the female athletes were "gender inequality in general and in sport," "barriers to gender equity," "reasons for abandonment," "needs," "environment role models" and "tools for the gender equity in sport." The main topics discussed by the sports managers, physical education teachers, and coaches were "gender inequality in general," "gender inequality in sports," "tools" and "reasons, motives, drivers." The results of the study revealed that gender inequality in sports is influenced by a broader social context, where stereotypes, biases, and discrimination persist. The participants also highlighted the challenges, barriers, and needs that women athletes face in their careers, such as a lack of resources, support, visibility, and recognition. Moreover, the participants suggested some strategies to promote gender equity in sports, such as increasing investment, awareness, and education, creating policies and legislation, fostering women's leadership and role modeling, and developing mixed and inclusive sports projects. Discussion: According to athletes and sports managers/teachers/coaches, gender inequality is still present in sport. There are barriers and challenges that need to be addressed such as lack of resources, visibility, and recognition for female athletes. Among the strategies that can be used to reverse this situation are increasing investment, awareness, and education, creating policies and legislation, fostering women's leadership, and developing mixed and inclusive sport projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated the relationships between job pressure, occupational burnout, organizational support and coping strategies among competitive sports coaches in Sichuan Province, China. It also assesses the impact of job pressure on occupational burnout and the mediating roles of organizational support and coping strategies. Methods: A survey was conducted with 207 competitive sports coaches from Sichuan Province, China. Basic information and data on job pressure, occupational burnout, organizational support and coping strategies were collected. Correlations between variables were analyzed, and a theoretical model for hypothesizing the mediating effects was established. A multiple regression model was used to predict the relationships between occupational burnout and job pressure, organizational support and coping strategies. Results: (1) Job pressure was significantly positively correlated with occupational burnout (R = 0.436, p < 0.001) and negative coping (R = 0.389, p < 0.001) but significantly negatively correlated with organizational support (R = -0.503, p < 0.001). Occupational burnout was significantly negatively correlated with academic title (R = -0.158, p = 0.023) and organizational support (R = -0.349, p < 0.001) but significantly positively correlated with negative coping (R = 0.440, p < 0.001). Organisational support was significantly positively correlated with positive coping (R = 0.222, p = 0.001) but significantly negatively correlated with negative coping (R = -0.207, p = 0.003). (2) Mediating effects: Job pressure indirectly affects occupational burnout via organizational support and negative coping strategies. (3) Multiple regression: Y1 (Job Pressure) = 69.262 + 1.172 × Emotional Exhaustion -2.231 × Emotional Support +1.041 × Negative Coping -6.554 × Academic Title (from high to low). Y2 (Occupational Burnout) = 25.609 + 0.141 × Job Pressure - 0.306 × Organisational Support +0.620 × Negative Coping -2.097 × Academic Title. Conclusion: Job pressure is a significant factor leading to occupational burnout among competitive sports coaches in Sichuan Province, China, and factors such as role, interpersonal relationships and career development are closely related to occupational burnout. The sense of organizational support and negative coping strategies play a mediating role between job pressure and occupational burnout. Reducing emotional exhaustion and negative coping, enhancing emotional support and improving the academic titles of coaches can help to reduce job pressure and occupational burnout among competitive sports coaches in Sichuan Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to identify both the latent profiles of coaching styles based on athletes' perceptions and their subsequent associations with athletes' motivation and sport commitment. The sample comprised young athletes from various sports types. Participants provided self‐reports of their perceptions of their coaches' behaviors, and their sport commitment and sport motivation. Cluster analyses revealed three coaching style profiles: Cluster 1 were coaches with a “low coaching style,” including those who lacked an autonomy‐supportive and those with a low controlling coaching style. Cluster 2 was labeled “Supportive coaching style” and represented coaches who were more apt to be autonomy‐supportive and less controlling. Cluster 3 was a “Controlling coaching style” and included coaches who demonstrated a low autonomy‐supportive and a high controlling style. Compared with athletes in Cluster 3, athletes in Clusters 1 and 2 reported higher levels of adaptive motivation and commitment variables. Thus, youth athletes perceived three clusters of coaching styles (Low coaching style, Supportive coaching style, and Controlling coaching style), and these profiles were associated with varying levels of athletes' motivation and commitment to sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The autonomy-supportive coaching style is recognized for its positive impact on athletes' well-being and performance. However, the transition of excessive autonomy into a laissez-faire coaching style has not been thoroughly examined within the context of coach evaluation scales. Existing scales focus predominantly on the positive dimensions of autonomy support, and do not possess the capabilities to measure outcomes which may be viewed as negative or other outcomes. This study aims to integrate the autonomysupportive and laissez-faire coaching styles within the same measurement framework. Methods: Our study developed a comprehensive scale to assess both the autonomy-supportive and laissez-faire coaching styles, drawing on items from the Sport Climate Questionnaire for autonomy support and adapting items from leadership research for laissez-faire coaching. We conducted two studies: the first with 148 athletes to refine the laissez-faire items and the second with 460 athletes to validate the full scale, utilizing exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlation analysis. We also measured internal consistency and split-half reliability. Results: The finalized scale includes a 6-item autonomy-supportive subscale and a 5-item laissez-faire subscale. Validation processes confirmed the scale's construct and criterion validity, alongside its reliability. Discussion: The Chinese Coaches' Autonomy-Supportive-Laissez-Faire Coaching Style Scale effectively captures both the beneficial and potentially detrimental aspects of coaching styles, addressing a critical gap in the literature and providing a reliable tool for evaluating coaching approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a clear need to design more effective professional learning environments, particularly in sport coaching as a developing educational profession. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interplay between theory-informed pedagogic design, the role of the coach developer, and sport coaches' perceived learning in a Higher Education online undergraduate module on reflective practice. The project involved designing a module based on domain-specific theories of coaches' learning and implementing multiple 'reflective conversations' with 21 professional association football coaches to structure their learning. Thematic analysis of data from 24 reflective conversations, five follow up semi-structured interviews and four focus group interviews, as well as a coach developer interview, determined perceptions of design, delivery and development. Findings demonstrated that theory-informed design and the aligned skill-set of the coach developer was significant in developing depth of participant coaches' understanding, and connecting theory to authentic reflective practice. The findings provide evidence to support the need for developing underpinning pedagogic design in the effectiveness of professional learning environments for developing reflective practitioners in educative professions such as sport coaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To map and summarise the sports coaches' and support staff's perspectives on athlete monitoring to explore the breadth of literature, identify knowledge gaps and inform future research. Design: Scoping review based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Methods: SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and Embase databases were searched in English until 6 September 2022. The inclusion criteria were (1) coach(es) and/or support staff were explicitly questioned about their knowledge, perceptions, understanding, opinions, and/or applied practice of athlete monitoring; (2) results could be directly attributed to coach(es) and/or support staff; (3) primary research projects that are available as full-text. Exclusion criteria were applied for grey literature. The data were extracted into a custom-made data charting spreadsheet. Results: From the 4381 identified records, 42 met the eligibility criteria. Almost all the studies were conducted within the Anglosphere and at the national or international level. The main reasons for coaches and support staff to implement athlete monitoring were to reduce injury and illness, inform the training program, and improve or maintain performance. While training load monitoring is generally seen as valuable the coaches and support staff acknowledged that there was no perfect scientific approach to monitoring athletes and believed it should be part of the bigger picture, emphasising communication. Conclusions: There has been a recent surge in research demonstrating that athlete monitoring extends beyond quantitative information and encompasses non-quantified subjective information. This further substantiates that coaches and support staff will remain central to athlete monitoring, even amidst the anticipated technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Athlete selection, as a crucial step for the success of competitive sports, is the last hurdle in the whole sports talent cultivation chain, which is related to the stability and sustainable development of the sports. In athlete selection, coaches play the role of decision-makers in selecting the most suitable athletes for a specific sport or competition from a large pool of talented athletes. Therefore, understanding how coaches' decisions impact athlete selection is crucial in establishing selection rules, formulating effective decision-making, and developing accurate athlete development policies. This review was conducted by searching the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases for English-language literature on coaching decision-making and talent selection, and screening and categorizing the literature according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 10 articles were included in this review. Based on the meta-synthesis findings, coaches' decision-making styles, intuition, and abilities play a significant role in athlete selection. Additionally, coaches' personalities are also an important factor that influences their decision-making process in identifying and selecting talented players. This review also emphasizes that coach decision-making is essential not only in athlete selection, but also in athlete detection, identification, and development, as coach behavior affects the success of the entire team. In addition, reinforcement of professional competence development and maintenance of continuous learning for coaches is the requirement of the times and the key to the success of athlete selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although evidence-based practice (EBP) is considered the ideal approach for achieving optimal outcomes for sport science practitioners, coaches and athletes, significant concerns impede its adoption. This study examines (1) the implementation of, (2) sources to gather evidence-based knowledge and (3) barriers to EBP from youth coaches' perspectives within Singapore. Fifty-three coaches (M age = 33.1 years, SD = 8.1) completed a 22-question survey through purposive sampling. Questions regarding the implementation of EBP showed that the top 3 research areas used were 'Strength and conditioning/fitness' (72%), 'Skill development' and 'Mental training and preparation' (both 57%); coaches relied on their personal experience more than scientific evidence (mean = 55.7 AU, SD = 1.5) when designing performance/training programmes. The top 3 preferred sources to gather evidence-based knowledge were 'Websites/podcasts/forums', 'Practitioners within their sport' and 'Social media'. The top 3 preferred feedback methods from practitioners were 'Informal conversations/speaking', 'Scheduled meetings' and 'Shared access of database/cloud-based software'. The top 3 qualities/attributes of practitioners preferred were those with 'Excellent knowledge of the sport/game', 'Years of experience as practitioner' and 'Strong communication skills'. More than half of the coaches wished to receive more information regarding 'Mental training and preparation' (62%) and 'Training load monitoring' (53%). Lastly, the key barriers to EBP were 'Non-applicable or irrelevant research reported' (38%), 'Inability to translate information to applied sporting context' and 'Time' (both 34%). With these findings, practitioners can explore working with coaches on EBP to yield effective and sustainable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strength and conditioning (S&C) interventions for golfers consistently demonstrate improvements in performance metrics such as clubhead speed. Golfers typically employ Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) coaches to support technical and tactical development. These coaches need to ensure golfers balance S&C training alongside competitions and technical golf practise, although no empirical data exist that demonstrates how this integration occurs practically. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and practises of PGA Professional golf coaches and how S&C is integrated into the golf year. Forty-three (male = 35; female = 8) PGA coaches completed a mixed-methods survey with questions on themes such as coaching approach, perceptions of S&C, annual planning and goal setting. Results show that formal planning processes are highly variable or absent. The majority (n = 29; 70.7%) of PGA coaches stated they worked with an S&C coach and see the role of the S&C coach to support golfers with their input. However, when planning the season, 63.4% (n = 26) of coaches do so without input from the S&C coach. These and other related disconnects between desire for S&C intervention and inclusion of the S&C coach in planning processes were evident throughout survey responses. There may be subsequent risks of conflict or misunderstanding between PGA coach, S&C coach and golfer. It is recommended golf coaches, golfers and S&C coaches work collaboratively as a multidisciplinary support team to ensure coordinated golfer support is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The role of a coach in enhancing athletes' performance and achieving success is well-documented across numerous studies. However, the strategies employed by Chinese coaches in developing world champion gymnasts remain under explored. Methods: This research involved a single case study focusing on a coach from the Chinese National Men's Gymnastics Team, credited with nurturing eight world champion gymnasts. Results: The inductive content analysis leads to that 6 subthemes, "international perspective and collaborative ability," "ability to control and regulate training loads," "identifying athletes' needs and transforming them into motivation," "goal setting aligned with athletes' abilities," "adopting authoritative democratic coaching style," and "establishing hierarchical-style friendship", and 3 themes, "training management and planning," "motivation and goal setting," and "interpersonal communication" are manifested. An overarching theme "the successful experience of gymnastics world champion coach," is derived from the analysis. Conclusion: This research bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, offering valuable insights into the successful experiences of gymnastics world champion coaches. The findings have the potential to influence coaching methodologies globally, fostering the development of resilient, motivated, and high-performing athletes. Future research should focus on sport-specific studies, longitudinal analyses, and cross-cultural comparisons to further advance the field of sports coaching and validate the effectiveness of these innovative coaching strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses Lefebvre’s rhythmanalysis to critically explore and make-sense-of the (co-)productive schemes of ‘coaching rhythm(s)’ at Alvour Football Club (a pseudonym). The first author spent seven months at a semi-professional football club by living with the group’s weekly schedule of training, meetings, and matches. The precise research methods included (written) field-notes, individual semi-structured interviews, and visual data. The findings introduce and explicate how the group’s rhythmic flow of the week was subject to the perpetual manipulation and imposition of the coaching staff, while also being politically negotiated, and simultaneously resisted by athletes. Specifically, the analysis uses the interplay between ‘eurhythmia’, ‘polyrhythmia’, and ‘arrythmia’ to understand the subtle and nuanced routines of coaching, and how individuals become sensitive to their production. In addition to introducing the value of understanding rhythm(s) in coaching, it is hoped the rhythmanalysis offered in this paper contributes an original interpretation of the taken-for-granted everydayness of coaching, which can challenge many of the assumed mechanical overtones that currently exist. Doing so, the paper offers a new reading of coaching as manipulating rhythm(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there are only a few studies analysing the experiences of lesbian coaches in sport worldwide, there is a lack of social scientific knowledge about the experiences of lesbian coaches in Spain. This paper explores a novel conceptual framework that combines stigma and agency to analyse the experiences of lesbian coaches, and the extent to which they reproduce stigma and/or build agency to challenge the status quo and foster social change. Drawing on sixteen semi-structured interviews with lesbian coaches in Spain, four central themes were identified. These are (1) double discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, (2) feelings of fear, (3) dealing with stigma, and (4) agentic responses and the potential for positive social change. The research highlights a continuum of experiences of lesbian coaches that are multifaceted and complex in nature, and often coexist between the reproduction of stigma and/or transformation through agency. Our research provides new insights into the nature and prevalence of discrimination regarding sexual orientation that aims to help sport organizations develop specific strategies and programmes to foster inclusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the contemporary era, there is a growing emphasis on understanding the self-realization of personality, encompassing individual-psychological traits, abilities, knowledge, skills, and motivation, extensively studied in psychology. Notably, limited attention has been given to exploring motivational determinants influencing athlete self-realization based on their professional qualifications. This gap is particularly pertinent in Kazakhstan, where significant efforts are directed towards athlete preparation. Methods: Employing a systemic approach by Bagadirova and Kudinov, the study views athlete self-realization as a multi-level phenomenon with interconnected components. A total of 180 athletes participated, including 60 professionals (average age 23.9), 60 amateurs (average age 31.1), and 60 Paralympians (average age 24.4). The methodological toolkit comprises four diagnostic techniques: E.A. Kalinin's "Motives of Sports Activities" (MSA) questionnaire, S. Maddi's resilience test adapted by D.A. Leontiev and E.I. Rasskazova, and S.I. Kudinov's multidimensional questionnaire on self-realization. Results: Significant differences in motivational determinants and self-realization attitudes emerge across athlete groups based on their sports qualifications. Noteworthy aspects include declining in motivation among professional athletes of masters of sports and masters of sports of international class, and rigidity in life resilience among Paralympic athletes. Overall, self-realization levels are not high, with extremely low levels of professional self-realization in all three athlete categories. Conclusions: The study's scientific novelty lies in systematically organizing knowledge on fundamental motivational determinants impacting athlete self-realization according to professional qualifications. This research addresses the acute shortage of psychological studies in sports psychology for Kazakhstan, which is still in its early stages. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions by coaches and sports psychologists to enhance motivation levels, especially among elite athletes, and foster resilience, particularly in Paralympic athletes, ultimately advancing the field in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Activity Recognition (HAR) is a highly promising research area meant to automatically identify and interpret human behaviour using data received from sensors in various contexts. The potential uses of HAR are many, among them health care, sports coaching or monitoring the elderly or disabled. Nonetheless, there are numerous hurdles to be circumvented for HAR's precision and usefulness to be improved. One of the challenges is that there is no uniformity in data collection and annotation making it difficult to compare findings among different studies. Furthermore, more comprehensive datasets are necessary so as to include a wider range of human activities in different contexts while complex activities, which consist of multiple sub‐activities, are still a challenge for recognition systems. Researchers have proposed new frontiers such as multi‐modal sensor data fusion and deep learning approaches for enhancing HAR accuracy while addressing these issues. Also, we are seeing more non‐traditional applications such as robotics and virtual reality/augmented world going forward with their use cases of HAR. This article offers an extensive review on the recent advances in HAR and highlights the major challenges facing this field as well as future opportunities for further researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to describe the fixation location and the time of the longer fixation of expert and novice futsal coaches before the ball was in play in futsal set pieces. Methods: A total of 10 experts (ages 48 ± 5) and 10 novice coaches (ages 40 ± 7) participated in the study. They observed that 38 video clips were created to mimic the attack and defensive set-piece moments of the game. Data were collected in a standardized video analysis task using the pupil invisible eye tracker and processed through the pupil cloud platform. The Mann-Whitney test was conducted to evaluate differences in gaze duration between game moments (attack and defense set pieces) and groups (expert vs. novice). Gaze duration was also compared for gaze location between groups. For further comparisons, the game moments (attack and defense set pieces) and the gaze location were summarized in two-dimensional graphics using correspondence analysis. Results and discussion: The results revealed higher values of gaze duration for attack and defense set pieces for the group of experts than for novices. When considering gaze duration, expert coaches had higher values than novices for the attacker 3, defender 3, barrier 1st, and barrier 2nd gaze locations. The correspondence analysis showed different strategies of visual search and, consequently, gaze locations for attack and defense set pieces. In particular, there was different correspondence for free kicks between the level of expertise and gaze location, while corner and sideline kicks revealed some correspondence between the groups and the gaze location. In free kicks, coaches should be particularly concerned about the relationship between attacker and defender three and the barrier 1st and 2nd line positions. In corner and sideline kicks, coaches should be particularly aware of the relationship between attackers' and defenders' positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although substantial research indicates that challenge plays a big role in the development of talent, little is known of the experiences of young performers as they negotiate and learn from these challenges. Methods: As such, to better understand the nature and impact of challenge on the Talent Development (TD) pathway, we longitudinally tracked nine young footballers from progressive age-bands (five aged 11 years and four aged 14) as they experienced challenge over a 15-month period using a mixedmethods design. Five semi-structured interviews separated by three months were conducted, and data were analysed via thematic analysis. Results: Our findings suggested that participants encountered recurrent challenging events, categorised into common/uncommon, planned/unplanned, individual-focused/group-focused challenges. Support for the benefits of challenges was pervasive throughout the data with participants progressing through stages with each challenge (drop, rebound and growth). However, the magnitude and rate at which participants experienced these stages was highly idiosyncratic. Indeed, the perceived impact, scale, and, ultimately, consequential developmental impact of these challenges appeared to vary greatly with participants displaying different responses to similar events. Such differences were underpinned by several individual factors (such as prior experiences and perceived coping skills), contextual characteristics of the challenge (such as type and timing) and support around the challenge (such as priming and reflection opportunities). Conclusion: Implications include the need for coaches and psychologists to systematically assess and carefully monitor the individual circumstances, needs and skillset of young performers and use this information as a platform for deploying individualised, timely and developmentally appropriate challenges along with relative support to ensure optimal learning and growth from them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND METHODS RESULTS CONCLUSIONS Youth who have experienced trauma or other adverse childhood events have the potential to uniquely benefit from physical activity (PA). However, how PA is administered in schools can be re‐traumatizing and fail to create positive experiences through movement. We sought to develop role‐specific training to help increase the implementation of trauma‐informed PA.Guided by intervention mapping methodology, we developed “Move & Thrive”—a brief web‐based training about trauma‐informed PA. We then conducted a pilot evaluation of this training using a pre‐posttest design with no control group in a sample of youth sport coaches, parents of school‐aged children, and teachers (n = 150) recruited from an online opt‐in non‐probability panel.Mixed methods feedback found that “Move & Thrive” was highly acceptable. Across all roles (coaches, teachers, and parents/guardians) there were statistically significant increases in all targeted implementation determinants (knowledge, attitudes, self‐efficacy, and perceived resources/support), with moderate to large effect sizes.These results provide the foundation for a larger, adequately powered trial with randomization and follow‐up to assess the implementation of trauma‐informed PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nLay Summary\nIMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICEThe current study follows up on the first-time implementation of the GrowTMindS Intervention described in Part I, with an overall aim of improving sports coaches’ beliefs in their talent as a coach (coach talent mindset, C-TM) and their athletes’ talent (athlete talent mindset, A-TM) as being malleable. By drawing on the user-centered design approach, we first refined the intervention using the insight provided by the coaches in Part I. A mixed-method approach then evaluated the second-time implementation, which included 33 participants (Mage = 38.76, SD = 16.55; 13 women, 20 men) in the quantitative strand and 11 informants (Mage = 39.09, SD = 14.10; 5 women, 6 men) in the sequential qualitative strand. The coaches represented the sports of swimming, bandy, ski sports, golf, and orienteering. The quantitative results indicate that the intervention targeted the coaches’ talent mindsets as their growth C-TM and A-TM scores increased from pre-test to post-test a year and a half after the intervention. The qualitative findings substantiate these results, showing how an increase at scale also appears meaningful concerning their belief in their own and their athletes’ developments. The findings also helped us to understand how the embracing, or possibly refuting, of intervention delivery may substantiate different trajectories of change, and thereby provided insight into the difficulty of targeting and the complexity of psychological processes and behavioral change. By considering the changes in coaches’ growth C-TM and A-TM, we assume that the GrowTMindS Intervention is ready for testing in a Phase III efficacy trial.The current study first refined the GrowTMindS Intervention to improve sports coaches’ mindsets about their talent as coaches and their athletes’ talent as being malleable and something that can grow. Then, using a mixed-method approach, the evaluation of this second-time implementation revealed a statistically significant and meaningful change in their mindsets through participation in a field study.The GrowTMindS Intervention 2.0 can influence adult sports coaches’ growth mindsets regarding their talent as coaches and their athletes’ talents.Implementing the GrowTMindS Intervention 2.0 in coach education programs can contribute to changing coach behavior for the sake of athlete development and avoiding potential adverse athlete outcomes related to early talent identification and early specialized training.The findings underscore the need to recognize coaches’ backgrounds and pre-understanding to tailor growth talent mindset messages for clarity and impact, motivating participants to adopt new behaviors. They also emphasize the crucial role of engaging and committing coaches to new behaviors through assignments and fostering supportive environments to reinforce the communicated growth talent mindsets messages.The GrowTMindS Intervention 2.0 can influence adult sports coaches’ growth mindsets regarding their talent as coaches and their athletes’ talents.Implementing the GrowTMindS Intervention 2.0 in coach education programs can contribute to changing coach behavior for the sake of athlete development and avoiding potential adverse athlete outcomes related to early talent identification and early specialized training.The findings underscore the need to recognize coaches’ backgrounds and pre-understanding to tailor growth talent mindset messages for clarity and impact, motivating participants to adopt new behaviors. They also emphasize the crucial role of engaging and committing coaches to new behaviors through assignments and fostering supportive environments to reinforce the communicated growth talent mindsets messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Force-velocity (F-v) and Power-velocity (P-v) relationships quantify athlete’s horizontal force production capacities during sprinting. Efforts are underway to enhance ecological validity for practitioners and sports coaches. This study provides detailed data comparison of a low frames per second setup (30 Hz; FPSlow) with splits from a high FPS camera to derive F-v and P-v relationships. Sixty-six sprints performed by 11 university track and field athletes (6 male, 5 female) were evaluated. Data were recorded using FPSlow, photocells, and a high-speed camera (240 Hz; MySprint). In the FPSlow setup, bias was 0.17s, and Limits of agreement was 0.09s compared to photocells. ICC was 1.00, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was 1.0% [0.8–1.1%]. Time acquisition comparison between MySprint and FPSlow setups revealed high consistency (ICC = 0.99) and low CV (2.9% [2.8–3.1%]). F-v profile variables exhibited biases from trivial to small, with ICC ranging from moderate to nearly perfect. CV ranged from 2.7% to 11.8%, and improved using the average of three sprints (CV between 1.8% and 8.6%). The ‘simple method’ applied to data from the low FPS video setup yielded kinetic and kinematic parameters comparable to those obtained by the validated previous method and photocells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mindfulness training, characterised by the cultivation of present-moment awareness and non-judgmental attention, has emerged as a potent tool for enhancing mental wellbeing and resilience in the face of life's challenges. In the realm of sports, its effectiveness in fortifying the mental resilience and performance of athletes and coaches has garnered significant attention. This study sought to investigate the impact of an online mindfulness-based intervention on the perceptions of stress, emotion regulation, and burnout among full-time coaches. Sixteen full-time coaches (nine females and seven males) engaged in a six-week online mindfulness-based intervention program, an adaptation of the Mindfulness Training for Coaches program, within the context of swimming as a sport. Participants completed a series of online questionnaires assessing their levels of mindfulness, emotion regulation, burnout, and stress. Data collection occurred before the intervention, at weeks three and five during the program, and post-intervention. Baseline data indicated that full-time coaches reported significant levels of burnout. The study's results unveiled notable improvements, with coaches experiencing (a) a significant reduction in difficulties associated with regulating emotions (p =.02) and stress (p <.001), (b) a noteworthy trend towards increased mindfulness scores (p =.08), and (c) a promising trend towards decreased burnout (p =.08). This investigation underscores the relevance of mindfulness participation in bolstering the wellbeing of full-time coaches, demonstrating its potential to enhance their mental fortitude and reduce the detrimental effects of stress and burnout. The implications extend beyond coaching, offering insights into the broader application of mindfulness interventions for improved mental wellbeing and performance within the sports arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]