High School Coaches Research Articles

Preparation and Attitudes of Kansas High School Head Coaches

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the level of preparation of high school head coaches in the state of Kansas and to study the relationship between level of preparation and coaches’ strong beliefs regarding the importance of coaching competencies. Through random sampling procedures, a total of 1,178 high school coaches received a first time mailing of a questionnaire. The return rate after two mailings was 91%. Of the 1,070 head coaches who responded to the survey, 62.5% had either majored or minored in physical education. The correlation between the number of coaching courses taken and the sum of strong belief statement scores was a low but significant .35. ANOVA and MANOVA procedures revealed that coaches who were not formally trained in each competency area exhibited diminished appreciation for the importance of that respective competency.

The Relationship between Coaches’ Leadership Style and Burnout

The literature on burnout has concentrated on the human service and helping professions, although recently some researchers have investigated the burnout phenomenon in sport. The present investigation focused on high school and college head coaches to determine if burnout is related to leadership style. Subjects (N=302) were high school coaches from Texas and college coaches from the Southwest and Southeast Conferences. Coaches completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), Social Desirability Scale (SDS), and a demographic data sheet. A MANOVA indicated a significant relationship between burnout and leadership style in four of the six subscales of the MBI. Specificially, coaches who displayed a consideration style of leadership behavior scored significantly higher in the frequency and intensity dimensions of the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization subscales. In addition, a significant gender difference revealed that male coaches scored higher in both the frequency and intensity dimensions of the depersonalization subscales. Results are discussed in terms of leadership theory, and practical implications are offered for reducing burnout in coaches.

Becoming a High School Coach: From Playing Sports to Coaching

This paper focuses on the processes by which people become high school coaches. Occupational choice, professional socialization, and organizational socialization are examined, using qualitative data drawn from naturally occurring observations of coaches and informal discussions and in-depth interviews with them. Over 50% of the coaches had decided that they wanted to become a coach before entrance into college. The decision to become a coach was subjectively warranted by personal characteristics and experiences in sports, a devotion to sport, and a desire to work with young people. Youth sport coaching and student teaching which involved coaching constituted the only formal professional socialization that most of the coaches received. However, because almost all of the coaches participated in organized youth and/or high school athletics, they had a first-hand opportunity to observe their own coaches and acquire some informal images and impressions about the coaching occupation from them. Regardless of whether a neophyte began as an assistant or a head coach, technical aspects of the job and the occupation's culture were acquired by observing and listening to more experienced coaches. Through these experiences, collective understandings began to form, and the shared meanings about the occupational culture took shape. Reality shock for most novice coaches came in the form of understanding the importance the coaching culture assigns to long hours and hard work and to the realization that coaching does take an enormous amount of time. By the end of the first season, a symbolic transformation takes place and internalization of institutional expectations occurs as the neophyte begins to understand what coaching is all about.

The High School Coach

(1986). The High School Coach. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 57, No. 3, pp. 28-32.

High School Coaching

High School Coaching

Attitudes Toward Drug Abuse and Screening for an Intercollegiate Athletic Program.

In brief: A number of universities have started screening intercollegiate athletes for drugs. A 26-item questionnaire administered to students, athletes, former athletes, parents of athletes, high school athletes, alumni, faculty members, and coaches at the University of Alabama revealed significant differences between student and nonstudent perceptions of drug abuse as a problem. There was widespread support for the screening program among nonathletes but significantly less support among the athletes.

High School Coaches' Perceptions of Their Responsibilities in Managing Their Athletes' Injuries

The purpose of this study was to ascertain coaches' perceptions of their responsibilities in managing their athletes' injuries. Thirty high school interscholastic coaches were interviewed from the South San Francisco Bay area of California. Coaches were asked six open-ended questions regarding their responsibilities and abilities for athletic health care and opinions about certification and liability. Results of this study indicated that coaches shared similar perceptions concerning their responsibilities. The similar perceptions involved conditioning and warm-ups for preventative care, administration of first aid for immediate injury care, and adherence to physician prescription and administering modality treatments for rehabilitative care. There were few significant differences regarding coaches' perceptions of their responsibilities. Findings from this report suggested that athletic health care at the high school level should be upgraded, and more health care professionals need to be involved in assisting coaches in providing athletes with optimum health care.

Competencies Used to Evaluate High School Coaches

Competencies Used to Evaluate High School Coaches

Medical Care for Athletes: Are Coaches Getting the Message?

A survey of high school coaches indicates that most are familiar with basic sports medicine information and that they are knowledgeable in its application.

Emergency Medical Skills in High School Coaches.

Coaches are often the primary source of assistance in emergency medical trauma in high school athletes. But how well are they trained, and how do they perceive their own capacities to handle trauma?

Evaluating High School Coaches

(1980). Evaluating High School Coaches. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 51, Including Leisure Today, pp. 76-77.

A New Responsibility for the High School Coach

A New Responsibility for the High School Coach

Why Do High School Coaches Quit?

Why Do High School Coaches Quit?

Aspects of Social and Political Values of High School Coaches

Aspects of Social and Political Values of High School Coaches

A Rationale for Certification of High School Coaches in Illinois

A Rationale for Certification of High School Coaches in Illinois

Certification for High School Coaches

Certification for High School Coaches

A survey of debate practices in Michigan high schools

This article reports a survey of debate practices employed by high school coaches in training students for inter scholastic debate as reported by 129 coaches and 62 high school debaters in the state of Michigan.

Employing the High School Coach

Employing the High School Coach

Action Films in High School Coaching

Action Films in High School Coaching

Farewell to high-school Coaching

Farewell to high-school Coaching