Missed Opportunities for Critical Consciousness in Canadian High School Coaching: An Exploratory Case Study

Abstract

OttawaHigh school sport coaches are important non-parental sources of influence who can help adolescent athletes develop in and beyond sport. In light of recent social movements that have led citizens to organize in the name of social change, there is a need to examine how coaches can leverage high school sport to foster athlete development in manners that address social inequity and promote social justice. In the present exploratory case study, one coach’s attitudes on social justice in Canadian high school sport are explored. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with the coach participant and subjected to a reflexive thematic analysis. Findings highlight how the coach was in the process of further developing critical consciousness surrounding his coaching yet relied mainly on a reactive approach when addressing social justice issues, resulting in missed opportunities for displaying and/or developing critical consciousness. Using a critical positive youth development framework (CPYD; Gonzalez et al., 2020), practical considerations and reflections are offered in terms of how youth sport coaches can be better trained to proactively address social justice issues through sport. Future directions for research in the Canadian high school sport context related to social justice are also discussed.