Exploring stressors and coping among volunteer, part-time and full-time sports coaches

Abstract

The stressor and coping experiences of full-time and paid coaches have been reported in the literature, yet researchers have largely overlooked the experiences of part-time and voluntary coaches who make a substantial contribution to the coaching workforce. This study aimed to begin addressing these voids by exploring volunteer, part-time and full-time coaches’ stressors and coping strategies. In addition, this study aimed to explore both men and women coaches’ experiences of stressors and coping because most published literature has focused on the experiences of male coaches. Guided by our interpretive paradigm and blended constructionist and critical realist perspective, theoretically informed semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 men and women coaches who represented a range of team and individual sports. Data were thematically analysed using an abductive approach. We constructed 141 codes that were represented by three themes of stressors (coach-related, athlete-related and organisational) and 131 codes relating to coping, which we grouped into seven themes (problem-solving, information seeking, escape, negotiation, self-reliance, dyadic coping and support seeking). Based on these findings, we propose several impactful recommendations for researchers and practitioners. For example, we recommend that researchers continue to generate rich understanding of stressors and coping among coaches who are working on different employment bases to work towards the development of effective stress management interventions. Further, we encourage national governing bodies work with practitioners to incorporate specific foci on stress and stress management during coach education programmes to contribute to more effective performance under pressure.