A content analysis of state high school association mission statements

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ABSTRACT Youth sport literature has advocated for more ecologically informed studies to understand the psychosocial development of young athletes [Dorsch, T. E., Smith, A. L., Blazo, J. A., Coakley, J., Côté, J., Wagstaff, C. R. D., Warner, S., & King, M. Q. (2022). Toward an integrated understanding of the youth sport system. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport]. Organizational sport psychologists have highlighted the importance of better understanding sport success by examining traits beyond the individual, such as support systems [Arthur, C. A., Wagstaff, C. R. D., & Hardy, L. (2017). Leadership in sport organization. In C. R. D. Wagstaff (Ed.), The organizational psychology of sport: Key issues and practical implications (pp. 153–175). Routledge]. Thus, the current study sought to understand organizational context and goals of high school sport in the United States by examining state-level high school sport organizations’ mission statements. Using directed content analysis, findings revealed five themes: mission statements included language around (a) the services they provide (e.g. tournament management, coach training), (b) protecting participants (e.g. preventing exploitation of minors), (c) sports’ relationship with education (e.g. supporting the academic mission or a separate additional educational opportunity), (d) a focus on fun, and (e) sport is a privilege. Findings are discussed in relation to the psychosocial development of youth through high school sport.