High school coaches’ perceptions of their efficacy to work with lesbian, gay, and bisexual athletes

Abstract

Historically, sport, at all levels, has created an environment of silence, negativity, and even fear for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) athletes. The purpose of this study was to identify coach characteristics and perceptions of their efficacy related to working with LGB youth athletes in the USA. An online survey was completed by n = 631 male and female head and assistant coaches from 25 different sports. Respondents filled out coaching demographics, team demographics, and the Efficacy Scale to Coach Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Athletes.5 Results revealed statistically significant differences in perceptions of LGB athletes between younger and older coaches, coaches who had previously coached openly LGB athletes and those who have not, and coaches with no religious affiliation and those who are Baptist, Catholic, or Protestant Christian. Although there does not appear to be a clear cut demographic of coaches who perceive themselves to be more effective when coaching LGB athletes, experiences coaching LGB athletes seem to contribute to higher perceptions of coaching ability and comfort. Future studies could include interviews with coaches and athletes to more thoroughly assess the current sport team environment with regard to LGB athletes, as well as the creation of high school coach education training and resources.