“The relationship was a big success – the bond”: Exploring coaching strategies to foster life skills development in Eswatini

Abstract

Coaches are uniquely positioned to foster both the implicit and explicit pathways of life skills development for youth sport participants. This study explored the coaching strategies that promote life skills development in Southern Africa, using rigorous, contextually-relevant, and culturally-attuned research and programming that is designed and implemented by local staff and a local researcher. This was achieved by studying a 3-week sport-based positive youth development program that was implemented at a community-based organization in a community in Eswatini. Participants were socially vulnerable youth (N = 48) in grades 6–7, coaches (N = 3), and the grade 6–7 afternoon class teacher. Data collection involved separate focus groups with the coach and youth participants, field notes from direct observation of the program sessions, and an interview with the teacher. Content analysis was used to inductively analyze the data, which was subsequently deductively categorized according to Bean and colleagues’ continuum of life skills development and transfer. Findings indicated that coaches employed both implicit (e.g. program design, positive coach-youth relationships, supporting mattering) and explicit (e.g. active learning strategies, discussion, reflection, focus on transfer) strategies to cultivate life skills development. Practical implications include the value of coaching strategies that are attuned to youth needs (e.g. lack of adult role models), cultural factors (e.g. local teaching norms, adult-youth relationship dynamics), and contextual challenges (e.g. behavior management). Future programming should consider situating coaching strategies in a holistic framework of experiential learning to optimize life skills development and transfer. Lay summary: Coaches are important figures in helping youth develop life skills through sport participation. This article discusses how, dependent on the cultural context and community challenges, coaching strategies need to be adapted to meet youth needs. This article identifies coaching strategies that meet youth needs in Southern Africa. Practical implications Coaching strategies need to be adapted to integrate cultural factors, address community challenges, and meet youth needs. Coaches and sport-based PYD program designers should consider the influence of the larger community and society in either promoting or hindering youths’ ability to transfer life skills to non-sport domains. Partnerships need to be created with the community in order to optimize youth life skills development. Coaching strategies should be situated within a holistic theory of experiential learning that can guide coaches in effectively facilitating life skills development and transfer.