High School Coaches Research Articles

Headgear use in girls' lacrosse-stakeholders not ready for change.

Mandating headgear for field players in girls' lacrosse to reduce head injuries, including concussion, has been heavily debated. However, research regarding the need and effectiveness of mandated headgear use in girls' lacrosse is still developing. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to identify the need for and barriers to the development of mandated headgear use policies in girls' lacrosse in Ohio. We conducted six virtual focus groups, three with concussion experts (clinicians and researchers) and three with girls' lacrosse stakeholders (high school players, parents, coaches, and officials). A focus group guide was developed to explore study participants' perceptions and opinions on concussion in girls' lacrosse, headgear use among players, and policies and policy development related to headgear use or a headgear mandate. We developed the codebook using an inductive and iterative approach based on focus group transcripts and used ATLAS.TI to code and analyze the transcript data. Concussion experts and stakeholders understood the potential consequences of concussion but did not perceive concussion as a pervasive problem in girls' lacrosse. The prevention of head and facial injuries was regarded as a potential benefit of headgear use. However, stakeholders expressed that the myriad of arguments discussed opposing mandated headgear use including increased aggressive play and/or targeting, concerns over changes in the game, and cost strongly outweighed the benefits. Finally, both concussion experts and stakeholders identified multiple organizations, including USA Lacrosse, who could act as facilitators and/or barriers to developing, enacting, and implementing headgear policies. Concussion experts and stakeholders identified possible reasons for headgear use related to injury prevention but also identified several important barriers to the development of a headgear mandate for girls' lacrosse in Ohio.

Social justice promotion in youth sport: insights from current high school coaches

Social justice promotion in youth sport: insights from current high school coaches

Organizational Commitment among the Top-Level College Basketball Players in Japan: Focused on Bases of Power and School Stages at High School and University

This study examined the degree of organizational commitment, the content of bases of power, and the relationship between organizational commitment and bases of power of high school and university stages of elite university basketball players in Japan. One hundred sixty-six (166) university basketball players from the Kanto University Basketball Federation Men's Division 1 League took part in this study. They completed questionnaires about their high school and university coaches. For organizational commitment, affective commitment was significantly higher for the high school stage than the university stage (p 0.001). For bases of power, the university stage had significantly higher scores for expert power (p 0.001), while closeness-trust power and punishment power scores were significantly higher in the high school stage (p 0.001). For the high school stage, motivational power and for the university stage, motivational and expert powers showed as determinants of organizational commitment. In the relationship between organizational commitment and bases of power in the high school stage, it was noteworthy that no significant influence of expert power was confirmed. The results suggested that it is important for coaches to rely on motivational and expert powers to increase organizational commitment. To nurture players who want to contribute to a team, it was speculated that coaches should constantly have strong motivation for coaching and make efforts to maintain relationships with their targets so that their attitude is understood by players, and also not neglect daily information gathering, training, and interaction among coaches to maintain high expertise in coaching.

An Examination of the Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Concussions in Texas High School and Junior High Coaches

Every state in the United States mandates concussion education annually or biennially for those involved in organized youth sports to improve awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward concussions. The purpose of this study was to examine Texas high school and junior high school coaches’ knowledge of and attitudes toward concussions using the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey—Coaches Version. Among all analyzed participants, the mean overall concussion knowledge index (Concussion Knowledge Index = 0–25) was 21 (SD = 1.79), while the overall concussion attitude index (Concussion Attitude Index = 15–75) was 63 (SD = 5.69). No significant differences for knowledge or attitude were found between gender, coaching level, sport type, geographical location, or school size (all p > .10). Mandatory concussion education has resulted in high levels of knowledge about and favorable attitudes toward concussions in Texas junior high school and high school coaches, with similar findings to other research in this area.

Winner for Life: A three-year study of student-athletes’ life skills development in a training programme for coaches and teachers

Growing numbers of researchers have investigated how training programmes influence coaches’ and teachers’ ability to promote life skills development, and concurrently, athlete-related outcomes. This study aimed to examine high school student-athletes’ development of life skills through a three-year programme called Winner for Life (Gagnant pour la vie). Delivered online to high school coaches and teachers, the programme targeted five life skills: (a) Goal Setting and Concentration (Year 1), (b) Healthy Eating Habits and Safety Behaviours (Year 2), and Physical and Mental Recovery (Year 3). In all, 148 student-athletes participated in the programme and completed questionnaires at five time points to assess life skills development. A general linear repeated measures model was used to assess changes over time. Missing data were handled using multiple imputations. Student-athletes reported higher scores on Goal Setting subscale at time 2 (vs. time 1) and time 3 (vs. time 2) and on Social Recovery subscale at time 2 (vs. time 1). They also reported lower scores on Sleep Quality subscale at time 3 (vs. time 2) and time 5 (vs. time 4). Additionally, a significant interaction was observed between student-athletes’ age (mean = 13.5 years) at study start, and improvements on certain life skills subscales over time. Overall, the fact that student-athletes did not improve on all life skills could be explained by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, which limited the programme’s influence from time 3. Results should be considered in light of limitations regarding gender distribution and ceiling effects on student-athletes’ scores. Recommendations to improve future life skills programmes are discussed, such as involving parents in delivery and encouraging life skills teaching over time.

Mental health training for high school coaches and athletic directors: Community-based participatory research to Coach Beyond

Training to improve high school sport coaches’ and athletic directors’ knowledge, skills, and competencies to address and respond to rising mental health concerns is more important than ever. High school student-athletes are at increased risk for mental health concerns, given the pressures of balancing sport, school, and other responsibilities. This paper describes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study that guided two years of public impact and social change efforts to improve coach education and training in one large Midwestern state in the United States. Our collective goal was to empower coaches and athletic directors to coach “beyond the Xs and Os.” Using a CBPR framework, we describe the decision-making process that led to the co-development and implementation of a mental health training program piloted with 147 high school coaches and athletic directors. We also describe intermediate outcomes associated with our collective change efforts demonstrating the value of using a CBPR approach. Our “Coach Beyond” processes and outputs showcase how CBPR can lead to transformative action and social change to reorient sport as a context focused on the holistic health, wellness, and development of student-athletes.

Athletic Burnout in High School Students: A Social Perspective

An examination of athlete burnout through a social perspective, determining if athlete burnout levels are correlated to levels of social support and social resources in high school student-athletes. According to this framework, high school athletes are likely to experience burnout if they have a low social support network and a lack of autonomy. A sample of 52 female and male high school-aged athletes from New Jersey participated in this study. The Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) and Sport Climate Questionnaire (SCQ) and personal interviews were used in this study. The quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson’s r Correlation Calculator. The quantitative results indicated that there was a negative correlation between social support and the development of athlete burnout among high school student-athletes (r=-.6716), which was further triangulated with the qualitative interview results. These findings revealed that increased social support has the ability to mitigate the severity of athlete burnout; thus to decrease the prevalence of burnout in high school athletes, coaches and athletic directors must enhance their athlete's social support network and resources.

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

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.

A-50 A Review of the Dangers of Misdiagnosing Concussions as Depression

Abstract Purpose Underrepresentation of concussion diagnoses is of increasing concern for the health and wellbeing of young athletes. Similarly, there is increased attention on the mental health of student athletes. Less addressed, however, is potential for misdiagnosis between these concerns. This literature review explains the underpinnings of the potential misinterpretation of concussion symptoms under the guise of depression. Methods Peer reviewed studies published within the last 25 years were included in this review. Specific statistics referring to current high school and collegiate athletes included peer reviewed articles from 2020-2023. Results Depression and concussions are correlated, further, experiencing TBI and concussion puts an individual at increased risk for developing depression. Additionally, many symptoms of concussion overlap with diagnostic criteria for depression such as: fatigue, suicidal ideation, anhedonia, sleep difficulties, and low mood. The risk of misdiagnosis of depression in concussed athletes is apparent. However, no known study has demonstrated the rate of this misdiagnosis. Treatment for concussion recovery and depression management is fundamentally different, which calls for accurate differentiation between the occurrence of depressive symptoms and head trauma induced symptoms. Conclusions Future research regarding affordable and accessible methods to differentiate depression from concussion will help reduce the chances of misdiagnosis. Understanding the considerable overlap in symptomatology and importance of recognizing both concussion when it occurs as well as depression is essential for individuals working with student athletes. Improved education for high school and college coaches and athletes, along with clinicians and physicians is a key component in this change.

White privilege in Canadian high school sport: investigating white coaches’ perspectives on social justice issues

ABSTRACT Sport constitutes an important setting in which to study whiteness given ongoing issues related to power, privilege, and oppression. The purpose of the study was to examine white privilege in Canadian high school sport by investigating white coaches’ perspectives on social justice issues. A total of 463 high school coaches who self-identified as white completed an online survey. Results showed how coaches who had a greater awareness of white privilege in society had more favourable attitudes towards social justice, higher importance attributed to climate change issues, greater awareness of prejudicial attitudes against the LGBT community, and a higher propensity to engage in antiracist behaviours. Moderating effects for gender identity were also found. Moving forward, white privilege should continue to be studied in coaching to better understand how it is entangled with social justice.

“Star Maker”: George Powles, McClymonds High School, and the Youth of West Oakland

This article assesses the life and career of George Powles, a legendary White youth sport and high school coach from Oakland, California. Born in 1910, Powles guided local American Legion, Babe Ruth, and Connie Mack baseball teams to various state, regional, and national titles and coached a plethora of outstanding athletes first at McClymonds High School, a predominantly Black institution in West Oakland and then later at Skyline High School, a predominantly White institution at the crest of the Oakland foothills, who would go onto legendary careers in professional sport. Among those he coached were iconic African American athletes who realized lasting fame for both their accomplishments on the playing field and involvement in the larger civil rights movement. Included among these athletes was Bill Russell, the Hall of Fame basketball player who led the University of San Francisco to successive National Collegiate Athletic Association national titles and the Boston Celtics to multiple National Basketball Association championships; Frank Robinson, the Hall of Fame baseball player and first African American to manage a Major League baseball team; Vada Pinson, the outstanding outfielder who played multiple years of Major League baseball; and Curt Flood, the gold-glove winning outfielder who famously challenged baseball’s reserve clause. In the end, Powles was a coach who served as an important mentor of Black athletes and believed strongly in sports power to bridge racial differences and instill important values and develop character among youth from all walks of life and cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

U.S. High School Coaches’ Knowledge, Perception, and Current Practices Regarding Exertional Heat Illness

Exertional heat illness (EHI) is a dangerous, but preventable and treatable condition that affects approximately 9,000 athletes each year in the United States. Unfortunately, less than 30% of schools in the United States have access to an athletic trainer, making coaches responsible for the safety of the athletes during practices and games. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, perception, and procedures of high school coaches in the United States regarding heat illness recognition, prevention, and treatment. An online survey including Likert items and open-ended questions was completed by 1,676 coaches from 16 states and compared between age, coaching experience, gender, education level, experience handling EHI, state, and the completion of either a general coaching certification or a heat safety certification. Average knowledge score among coaches was 74%. Coaches with experience handling or witnessing EHI, more years of coaching experience, older age, and the completion of a coaching certification had significantly higher level of knowledge than others. Results revealed that evidence-based strategies and state mandates aimed at preventing EHI are not being implemented. More training in prevention, recognition, and treatment of EHI is necessary for all individuals involved with high school athletes to prevent avoidable deaths.

Gender nonbinary athletes and sport participation: Perspectives of high school coaches and athletic directors

ABSTRACT Students who identify as gender nonbinary may be victimized by peers as well as school teachers, staff, and administration [Perez, E. R., Schanding Jr, G. T., & Dao, T. K. (2013). Educators’ perceptions in addressing bullying of LGBTQ/gender nonconforming youth. Journal of School Violence, 12(1), 64–79.]. We gained an understanding of how coaches and athletic directors perceive gender nonbinary athletes and their sports team participation by recruiting a sample of NJ high school coaches and athletic directors to complete an online survey. Participants read a hypothetical vignette about an athlete who identifies as gender nonbinary. Half read a vignette about that athlete who wants to join their team and half read about an athlete joining the opposing team. Participants then rated their agreement to statements about the athlete’s sport participation. Findings are relevant, as many coaches’ and athletic directors’ perspectives do not align with current policies, which may have implications for the education and training of high school teachers and staff, and the opportunities for gender nonbinary high school athletes.

High school coaches’ attitudes toward sport psychology consultation and the barriers to implementation of sport psychology services

The purpose of this study was to examine high school coaches’ attitudes toward sport psychology consultation and the barriers to implementation of sport psychology services. A convenience sample of 296 high school coaches ( nmale = 225; nfemale = 71) across the Northeast region of the United States completed the Sport Psychology Attitudes Revised Coaches-2 questionnaire and an open-ended question, “What are the barriers to using a sport psychology consultant with your team?”. Results showed that high school coaches had a positive attitude toward sport psychology services, believed these services were useful, were moderately willing to be personally involved in these services with their athletes, and did not show a strong preference for those of a similar cultural identity. However, barriers to implementation of sport psychology services were identified, such as cost, time, sport psychology consultant access and availability, coaches’ lack of knowledge about the role of a sport psychology consultant, stigma from the athletes, lack of administrative and parental support, “fit” and competency of the sport psychology consultant, evidence of effectiveness, no need for a sport psychology consultant, and issues with confidentiality/consent. These barriers reflect the current challenges associated with the standards of practice within the field of sport psychology. Expanding sport psychology services to the high school domain has the potential to foster young athletes’ emotional and physical development and thus, improve athlete performance.

The Association between High School Coach’s Leadership Behaviors and Athletes’ Self-Efficacy and Grit

The Association between High School Coach’s Leadership Behaviors and Athletes’ Self-Efficacy and Grit

Analyzing a sport for development program’s logic model by using key actors’ perceptions: The case of Pour 3 Points organization in Montreal

More work is needed on measuring the impact of Sport for Development (SFD) organization and on the managerial structures and processes for change. The purpose of the current study was to analyze the logic model (LM) of a SFD program in Canada that provides training for high school coaches in low socioeconomic communities in Montreal. Key actors (i.e., coaches, program administrators, school directors, and sport coordinators; N = 22) were interviewed about their perceptions of the different components of the organization's LM, namely the program's context, the initial problem it addressed, its needs, objectives, input, output, and impacts. Findings reveal the participants perceived the program as being successful by all key actors. Participants had similar understandings regarding the targeted problem and context, but their views differed regarding their understanding of the program's activities. In addition, the key actors addressed issues of the structure and impacts of the SFD program and made suggestions to improve the program, including clarifying its objectives, reinforcing internal communication, and building stronger partnerships with the partner schools. Findings from the present study provide recommendations to help improve the organization's LM. In addition, these findings can help researchers and SFD administrators reinforce essential organizational program structures and activities for better management, evaluation, and improved impact on communities.

Scholars’ perspectives of positive youth development in coach education for high school sports

ABSTRACT Background Despite the fact that research supports the positive impact coach education has on increasing the quality of athletes’ developmental experiences in sport, there remains resistance regarding the use of positive youth development (PYD) content within coach education. The purpose of the current study is to explore what scholars, who are often viewed as ‘experts,’ believe is important to include in PYD-focused coach education for high school sport coaches. Methods A set of criteria, which were aligned with the study’s aims, were established to identify potential participants: (a) scholars who studied PYD-focused coach education, sport-based PYD, and/or coach education; (b) scholars who published their work in peer-reviewed journals; and (c) scholars who were aware of the nature of high school sport and/or conducted research focused on this sport context. In total, of 162 scholars from around the world who were recruited, 30 completed the entire questionnaire. Specifically, data were collected using a 20-question online survey as a qualitative research tool to understand scholars’ perceptions of the integration of PYD content in coach education, as well as how coaches may best learn about PYD content. Findings Findings highlight that scholars believe PYD-focused coach education is relevant for high school coaches and should focus on a variety of components, including life skills, social justice, and mental health literacy. Scholars also purport that holistic athlete development may be an effective overarching framework for coach education. Further, scholars believe that coach learning should be maximized through a combination of formal, non-formal, and informal learning situations and should focus on learner-centered pedagogical strategies. Implications PYD-focused coach education should help coaches consider technical, tactical, physical, and life skill development as equally important pursuits.

High School Coaches’ Knowledge and Behaviors for Emergency Preparedness

Emergency action plans (EAPs) are considered best practice for the preparation of catastrophic events in sports and, when adequate, can effectively improve patient outcomes. The EAPs should include a collaboration of all personnel involved in the sporting activities, with high school coaches being well-positioned to implement these plans. Therefore, coaches can have a direct influence on the health and safety of their athletes through their involvement in an emergency response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the understanding and adoption of EAPs as reported by coaches. A web-based questionnaire assessed adoption of an EAP; decisional stages for adoption of components of an EAP; and various characteristics (e.g., access to an athletic trainer facilitators and barriers). A total of 720 responses were included in this study. Nearly 25% of coaches reported being unaware if their school had an EAP, and coaches were more likely to adopt a comprehensive EAP if their school had access to an athletic trainer. A majority of coaches perceived financial assistance as a facilitator and financial limitations as a barrier for EAP implementation. The findings of this investigation illustrate the need for improved coaches’ educational awareness of emergency preparedness strategies within the high school setting.

Prevention of exertional heat illness among high school baseball athletes and coaches : knowledge, attitude, practice, facilitators, and barriers

Prevention of exertional heat illness among high school baseball athletes and coaches : knowledge, attitude, practice, facilitators, and barriers

Experiences of high school stakeholders and student-athletes participating in an ongoing longitudinal life skills training program

Life skills training programs have recently received increased attention in the literature, as they have the potential to provide stakeholders with the necessary knowledge and resources to facilitate life skills development and transfer through sports. Nonetheless, few attempts have been made to qualitatively examine the experiences of several groups of participants as these training programs unfold. Yet, doing so could provide a more nuanced understanding of the factors that influence the process of life skills development and transfer over time. The purpose of this study was to explore high school stakeholders’ (i.e., coaches, teachers) and student-athletes’ experiences following their first year of participation in a longitudinal life skills training program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders (n = 7) and student-athletes (n = 24) at the high school where the program is being implemented. Data were analyzed deductively and inductively following Miles et al.’s (2020) recommendations. The results revealed that stakeholders facilitated life skills teaching and transfer with student-athletes using various strategies in line with the explicit focus of the program (e.g., organizing life skills lessons, using tools from the program, discussing transfer). However, the stakeholders’ and student-athletes’ responses suggested that various factors influenced their ability to successfully develop life skills and transfer them between the school and sport contexts. These results highlight the importance of considering participants’ experiences to improve life skills development and transfer over time and of adjusting training programs as they unfold. Lay summary: High school stakeholders and student-athletes were interviewed to explore their experiences after participating one year in a longitudinal life skills training program. The results shed light on various factors that influenced the stakeholders’ experiences with life skills teaching and transfer and the student-athletes’ experiences with life skills learning and transfer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This study provides a nuanced understanding of participants’ experiences to inform future training programs on how to make life skills development and transfer more effective in the high school sport context. High school stakeholders, including teachers, coaches, and administrators, can use recommendations from this study to assist student-athletes in developing and transferring life skills between the school and sport contexts.