Sport Environment Research Articles

Exploring the Implementation and Practices of the Parent–Coach Dual Role

Previous research looking into youth sport coaching indicates that a majority of coaches may also be a parent to an athlete on their team. While previous studies have also sought to understand how being a parent–coach might affect parents’ relationships with their own child(ren), little work appears to explore how occupying this role might affect an individual’s ability to remain effective as a coach. As such, 14 parent–coaches were interviewed to examine how they perceived their dual role to influence their coaching effectiveness and to hear what strategies they used to remain effective. Interviews were analyzed thematically, and findings indicated that parent–coaches have few formalized resources to aid them in navigating the issues associated with their challenging dual-role position. More support would be welcomed by this population to improve their effectiveness and to ensure that all developing athletes in their care continue to have positive experiences within the youth sport environment.

Online Learning in a High-Performance Sport Environment—A Mixed-Method Study

This study investigated a high-performance rugby academy program in New Zealand during the COVID-19 lockdown period in 2020. Unsurprisingly, this challenged academy staff who were abruptly charged with conceptualizing and implementing the program in innovative ways including a move to online learning and the adoption of online learning tools. A mixed-method sequential exploratory design was employed to explore the managers, coaches, and learners’ experiences. Phase 1 explored three coaches and two academy managers conceptualization and subsequent experiences of the online program. Phase 2 explored 44 academy players’ experiences of the online learning program. Our findings reveal that an explicit focus on player well-being and connection online appeared to increase a “sense of community” within and across both cohorts through enhanced communication, participation, and interaction. The challenges encountered included: accessibility, the amount, flow, and direction of information, “app fatigue,” and online technologies that were not fit-for-purpose. Our discussion reinforces that purposeful design and constant reflection is requisite to the successful and sustainable implementation of online coaching environments. We conclude with five fundamental lessons learned from COVID-19 that are worthy of consideration in the purposeful design of future online high-performance sporting programmes.

Cyberbullying in Sport

Despite over 30 years of scholarly attention devoted to bullying and cyberbullying behaviors in school settings, research related to these experiences in the sport context remains limited. Yet, numerous anecdotal examples and preliminary evidence suggests cyberbullying exists in the sport domain and must be addressed given the potential adverse psychosocial outcomes for athletes. This commentary reviews research related to bullying and cyberbullying in the sport literature. To advance our understanding of cyberbullying in sport, recommendations are made to clarify conceptual issues around the central defining features (i.e., power, repetition, intent) commonly used to operationalize these experiences. Further, methodological issues to be addressed are discussed, including, the use of more diverse methods; adoption of an intersectional lens to all research; and the development, implementation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies. Only through a research base that addresses these conceptual and methodological challenges, will empirically-informed prevention and intervention strategies be developed to advance safe, healthy, and inclusive sport environments.

Retracted: Construction of Resource Ecological Compensation Mechanism Model under Rural Leisure Sports Environment.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/2987270.].

Development of a Questionnaire Focused on Sports Coaches Learning

Coaching is one of the most demanding social, helping and pedagogical professions. Therefore, research attention is rightly paid mainly to formal coach education aiming at adequate preparation for the practice of this profession. In recent years, however, many empirical studies have demonstrated that non-formal coach education is playing an increasingly important role in coach development in addition to formal coach education. At the same time, research findings show that it is not only the completed “official” coach education that is crucial for the professional development of each coach, but above all, it is the complex results of their lifelong learning.
 Therefore, it is essential for various sports institutions, for sports educational facilities, especially for coach educators, to have information about the course, features, and potential problems related to lifelong learning of specific sports coaches. Therefore, our paper aims to create a research tool – a questionnaire that identifies the essential circumstances of lifelong coach learning.
 The design of the questionnaire builds on our previous research on formal, non-formal and informal coach education and, in particular, on the results of many analogous international empirical studies on coach learning. These starting points show that the following areas play an essential role in the lifelong learning process of coaches: (1) personal sports and coaching experience, (2) reflection (self-reflection) of this experience, (3) professional sharing of coach experience, (4) mentoring and (5) accessible and understandable coach learning information resources.
 We prepared a working version of the questionnaire based on the above principles. This research tool aims to identify sports coaches' learning and education processes. We designed the questionnaire containing 66 items (closed, open, semi-closed, and scales) to suit various respondents – coaches (multiple types of sports, competitive and recreational sports, different age groups, beginners and experienced coaches, etc.).
 The first stage of verifying the draft version of the questionnaire consisted of an expert assessment. A total of 6 active coaches (three male coaches and three female coaches from the environment of top, competitive and hobby sports), who were acquainted with the theoretical basis of the questionnaire, recommended minor corrections to the questionnaire. The second stage of the questionnaire verification took place in interviews with six coaches (again working in competitive and leisure sports) who were not acquainted with the theoretical basis of the questionnaire. This stage focused on the clarity and unambiguity of individual items. The revised questionnaire was subsequently converted into an electronic form. The functionality of the final electronic version of the questionnaire was verified within a pilot study (n = 18).

Assessment of a new UV-C light-emitting diode–based technology for air sanitization in indoor sports environments

The beneficial effects that physical activity gives to our bodies are well known, but they could be compromised by reduced indoor air quality (IAQ) in confined sports environments. Within the latter, indoor air often may host high levels of biological pollutants (bacteria, viruses and moulds). The use of UV-C light-emitting diode (UV-C LED) technology can significantly reduce the airborne microbial load, giving many advantages both on a hygienic and ecological level thanks to their reduced environmental impact. In this study, a new eco-friendly technology, named ‘CSA System technology’ (international patent: US20220268458A1), was integrated into an innovative continuous sanitation air (CSA) device. A prototype called CSA System S14000 was installed in a university sport pressostatic structure, and its sanitation efficacy and efficiency were assessed. The prototype demonstrated high efficacy in eliminating airborne microorganisms, both in efficacy tests (inactivation rate around 99.92 ± 0.07%, log reduction of 3.22 ± 0.39) and in on-site environmental tests (inactivation rate around 70.7 ± 3.6% and 72.4 ± 3.3% for airborne bacteria and moulds, respectively). Based on the results, the installation of the tested device in indoor sports environments appears to be a promising solution to guarantee efficient and healthy sanitation for athletes during sporting activity.

Differences in Neurocognitive Functions Between Healthy Controls and Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Reconstructed Male Athletes Who Passed or Failed Return to Sport Criteria: A Preliminary Study.

Only 55% of anterior cruciate ligament-reconstructed (ACLR) athletes return to competitive sports. This brings into question the usefulness of current return to sport (RTS) criteria. High cognitive demand of sport environment clarifies the value of incorporating neurocognitive tests when making decisions regarding the time of RTS. This preliminary study aimed to compare the neurocognitive functions between healthy controls and ACLR male athletes who passed or failed RTS criteria. A total of 45 male football players, including 15 ACLR who passed RTS criteria, 15 ACLR who did not pass, and 15 healthy controls participated in this cross-sectional study. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery was used to measure a battery of neurocognitive tasks, including speed of response, sustained attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and response inhibition. The results revealed that compared with both the ACLR-passed and healthy groups, the ACLR-failed group showed greater values of 5-choice movement time (P = .02, P = .01, respectively) but lower values of stop signal reaction time (P = .03, P = .001, respectively) and proportion of successful stops variables (P = .02). In addition, compared with the healthy group, both the ACLR-failed and ACLR-passed groups indicated greater values in between errors (P < .001, P = .008, respectively) and reaction latency variables (P = .002, P = .01, respectively) but lower values of A' (P < .001, P = .007, respectively), probability of hit (P < .001, P = .03, respectively), and percent correct trials variables (P = .006, P = .02, respectively). Our findings indicated deficits in neurocognitive functions in ACLR male athletes. In addition, poor performance in sustained attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility measures observed in the ACLR-passed group highlighted the necessity for using a multimodal approach via implementation of neurocognitive measures in conjunction with the functional and muscular assessments when making RTS decisions.

Comparing three observation instruments of the coach's behaviour in grassroots football

Coach behaviour has long been known to influence the sporting experience of grassroots players; however, it is currently unclear how the instruments used to assess their behaviour are related. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the relationships between three observational coaching behaviour tools. Sixteen matches with teams led by four female football coaches were recorded and analysed using three observational instruments: (a) Coaching Behaviour Assessment System (CBAS); (b) Multidimensional Motivational Climate Observation System (MMCOS) and (c) Coach Leadership Assessment System (CLAS). The dimensions measured by each instrument are theorised as being adaptive or maladaptive. The specific objectives of this study are targeted to assess: (a) the commonalities between the three instruments and (b) what differentiated aspects each instrument provides. The results show that both the adaptive and the maladaptive dimensions of the three instruments are positively related among themselves but negatively related to the others. The results also show that the MMCOS is sensitive to behavioural changes during the matches, while the CBAS and the CLAS do not reflect these changes but assess the stability of the behaviour. In conclusion, this research provides empirical evidence supporting the conceptual relationship between the three instruments and of the specific information that each instrument offers. Furthermore, it highlights the need to observe the sport environment more closely in a more diversified way.

Eating disorder risk in adolescent and adult female athletes: the role of body satisfaction, sport type, BMI, level of competition, and training background

BackgroundEating disorders negatively influence athletes’ health and performance. To achieve a high level of performance and conform to cultural expectations regarding an athletic body type, female athletes often restrict their diets, which can lead to eating disorders. In addition to factors related to the sports environment, adolescent athletes are subject to changes caused by the maturation process. Therefore, the same factors may have different effects on eating disorder risk among adolescent and adult athletes. This study examined the relationship between eating disorder risk, specific aspects of the sports environment (sport type, level of competition [national and international], and training background), and individual aspects (body satisfaction and body mass index) in two groups of athletes: adolescents and adults.MethodsThe sample included 241 highly trained female athletes aged 12–30 years (M = 20.68, SD = 4.45) recruited from different sports clubs in Poland. The subgroup of adolescents consisted of 82 athletes, while the number of adult athletes was 159. The Eating Attitudes Test questionnaire was used to assess the eating disorder risk among the athletes. Body satisfaction was measured using the Feelings and Attitudes Toward Body Scale incorporated into the Body Investment Scale.ResultsEating disorder risk was prevalent among 14.6% of the adolescent and 6.9% of the adult athletes. Significant associations between eating disorder risk and the studied variables were noted only among adolescent athletes. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the occurrence of eating disorder risk was associated with participation in lean non-aesthetic sports (OR = 11.50, 95% CI: 3.58–37.09). Moreover, eating disorder risk was associated with athletes’ lower body satisfaction (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.70–0.92). Body mass index was not included in the final regression model.ConclusionsThe study indicated that eating disorder risk in adolescent female athletes was related to sport type and body satisfaction. The findings showed that, in adolescent athletes, eating disorder risk was the most associated with practicing lean non-aesthetic sports. Coaches and athletes should be aware that eating disorder risk increases among individuals with a lower body image.

Investigation of the Effect of University Sports Environment on Academic Motivation

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of university sports environment perception on academic motivation. A total of 206 students studying at various faculties of Bayburt University participated in the research. In the study, the “Personal Information Form” created by the researchers to determine the demographic information of university students, the “University Sports Environment Scale” to determine the university sports environment, and the “Academic Motivation Scale” to determine the academic motivation levels were used. The analysis of the obtained data was made in the statistical program (SPSS 25). According to the results obtained, it was determined that male participants had higher perception levels of university sports environment and academic motivation levels compared to female participants. In the analysis of the data according to the age variable, it was determined that the participants in the age group of 24 and over had higher perception levels of the university sports environment than the participants in the 20-21 age group. When the data were analyzed according to the faculties of the participants, it was found that the participants in the faculty of sports sciences had higher perception levels of the university sports environment compared to the participants in the vocational school. When the correlation between Academic Motivation and University Sports Environment Perception is examined, it is seen that there is a positive and significant relationship between University Sports Environment Perception and Academic Motivation, and all of the University Sports Environment sub-dimensions are the predictors of organizational happiness.

Examining the Levels of Social Skills and Sports Ethics of Sports Science Students in terms of Different Variables Perspective

This study was made in order to determine the social skills and sports ethics levels of university students studying in the faculty of sports sciences in terms of different variables. 250 participants voluntarily participated in the study. The data used in our research were collected electronically using Google Forms. A Personal information form has been created for the collection of personal data. In order to determine the sports ethics levels of the participants; The scale developed by Uslu et al. (2019) was used for the research ti ₺ ed “Examination of the Relationship Between Anger Controls of Football Coaches and Personality Traits and Moral Attitudes in Sports Environment”. Social Skills Inventory-Short Form (SBE-KF) was used to determine social skill levels (Koydemir,2006). SPSS 23 program was used in the statistical analysis of the data. The data showed a normal distribution as a result of the normality test, and the “Independent Sample T-Test” was applied in the analysis of binary variables and the “One-Way Analysis of Variance” was applied in multiple variables. Correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the groups. The number of participants was compared in terms of age, gender, branch variable, income level, education level variables. As a result of our study, a significant difference was found between male and female athletes in terms of sports ethics levels (p0.05). No significant results were reached in other variables.Keywords: Sport Moral Level, Socail Skills, Sport Sciences

To kneel or not to kneel: Appropriating a religious and sport symbol for racial justice in South Africa

The act of kneeling of the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) has its origin in both the religious and the sport environment. In some religious circles it is believed that kneeling is a form of submission to God and in other circles it is a symbol of resistance to oppressive and dehumanising practices and structures. This article intends to investigate critically the use of the symbolism of kneeling, its socio-political and religious implications, how it is appropriated to address racism and other inequalities in sport, and how it can become a symbol in the process of achieving racial justice. The purposeof the study is to investigate whether the BLM concept of taking the knee (as well as the related expression “I can’t breathe”) and its ambiguous interpretation can be appropriated in the South African context and whether it can assist the struggle to achieve racial justice in South Africa. The study will follow a multidisciplinary approach and will utilise comparative literature analysis.

Coping strategies of footballers who have recovered from COVID-19 in five European countries

In the realm of sports performance, coping skills play a pivotal role, particularly within the stress inducing environment of sports. The aim of this research was to explore differences between football athletes who had tested positive for COVID-19 and athletes who had not contracted the virus in terms of their utilization of coping strategies. Additionally, differences among countries were investigated, in the case of football players who had, at some point, battled COVID-19. A total of 147 (one hundred and forty-seven) male football players from five European countries - Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania – took part in this study. To assess coping skills, we employed the Brief COPE questionnaire, which encompassed fourteen coping strategies, grouped into three categories: emotion-oriented coping strategies, problem/task-oriented strategies, and dysfunctional coping strategies. Using the Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner pairwise comparison test, the differences between the five countries were scrutinized, starting from the three dependent variables (the grouped coping strategies). Notably, football athletes from Poland and Romania exhibited a higher frequency of employing emotion-focused coping strategies (during the pandemic). Conversely, athletes from Italy leaned towards employing problem-focused strategies more frequently. No significant differences were observed in terms of dysfunctional coping strategies among football players who had battled COVID-19 across the five countries. We discussed the frequency of using coping strategies among football athletes who reported no infection with the SARS-COV-2 virus (up to the 4th wave of the pandemic) and those who had experienced COVID-19. The findings are of considerable interest to specialists, raising awareness on the coping skills employed by footballers during the pandemic.

A pilot study of a modification EAT-26 questionnaire for screening pathological eating behavior in competitive athletes.

This study deals with pathological forms of eating behavior and disorders of athletes with the aim to verify a newly created questionnaire method focused on their screening. First, a detailed analysis of one of the most frequently used methods, EAT-26, was carried out, which was subsequently reworked into a newly created questionnaire that should meet the criteria for application to a group of competitive athletes. This new questionnaire was then verified on a group of athletes in risky sports disciplines. It was distributed among athletes of aesthetic sports, specifically among aerobics (gymnastic, sport, and fitness), gymnastics (modern and sport), professional dance, figure skating, and bodybuilding/fitness (classic bodybuilding, bikini fitness, and men's physique). In total, 100 respondents, 79 women and 21 men, with 20 persons from each sport branch, aged 16-26, participated in the research. The main results of the research investigation were determined using factor analysis, which yielded positive results. Five strong factors (dietary control, body weight control, training obsession, appetite, and calorie counting) were identified, which can be defined as common and well-known characteristics in the eating and training regime of competitive athletes. At the same time, the factors found can be defined as essential factors influencing the emergence of disturbed eating behavior or the later development of an eating disorder. Compared to the original EAT-26, the point score was adjusted, and its critical value was determined at 57 points. Of the respondents, 33%, i.e., 33 out of a possible 100, achieved this value or above. Respondents with a point score of 57 and above were found in every sport tested. Of the 33 respondents reaching this point limit, 6% were in aerobics, 24% in gymnastics, 15% in professional dance, 27% in figure skating, and 27% in bodybuilding/fitness. Respondents from the bodybuilding and fitness sports sector achieved the highest number of points on average and those were the only ones who exceeded the threshold of 57 points on average. The results of the work correspond with the opinion of many experts that the sports environment is ideal for covering up disturbed eating behavior or eating disorders, and diagnosis in this environment is difficult.

Understanding the Leadership and Environmental Mechanisms in a Super League Netball Club

The personal assets framework offers a lens to better understand the relationship between leadership in sport environments and the resultant (athlete) developmental outcomes. This investigation aimed to explore how leadership behaviors and the broader environment of a Super League netball club represented an effective context for athletes to flourish by exploring the interrelations between the personal assets framework’s dynamic elements, namely (a) quality social dynamics, (b) appropriate settings, and (c) personal engagement in activities. Twenty-eight stakeholders were interviewed either individually or in small groups. The results revealed that the environment constructed was shaped by many interrelated mechanisms, and all stakeholders influenced how the dynamic elements intersected with one another. Key leadership behaviors driving the positive environment of the club were related to individualization and generating perceptions of value. The stakeholders’ desire to understand the relationship between their individual contribution and Super League netball was also crucial.

Am I welcome? Youth perceptions and feelings of racialized welcomeness in sports

ABSTRACT Purpose/Rationale: We consider the influence of racial identity on the real and perceived welcomeness of youth across popular U.S. sports. Design/Methodology/Approach: We administered an instrument measuring perceived sport welcomeness to 273 middle school students. Statistical analyses were run to determine any significant differences in feelings of welcomeness, perceived welcomeness, and favorite sport(s). Findings: Participants revealed a sporting environment where youth of all races are perceived to feel welcome, albeit to varying degrees. Moreover, the racial identity of our study’s participants significantly influenced their own personal feelings of welcomeness, and subsequently, their favorite sports. Research Contribution: Previous research typically centers on adult populations, whereas, we analyzed welcomeness, as well as perceptions of other racial groups’ welcomeness, in sports from actual youth participants. Additionally, we link perceptions of welcomeness to a tangible outcome, demonstrating that perceived welcomeness influences the participants’ favorite sport. Originality/Value: We discuss how such feelings and perceptions of welcomeness influence participation in sport, as well as how youth might be exploited by, yet unknowingly perpetuate, sport as a racialized space. In doing so, we extend the theoretical reach of welcome theory and offer implications for creating more inclusive sport spaces and programming.

Investigation of the Frequency of Detection of Common Respiratory Pathogens in Nasal Secretions and Environment of Healthy Sport Horses Attending a Multi-Week Show Event during the Summer Months.

Little information is presently available regarding the frequency of the silent shedders of respiratory viruses in healthy sport horses and their impact on environmental contamination. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the detection frequency of selected respiratory pathogens in nasal secretions and environmental stall samples of sport horses attending a multi-week equestrian event during the summer months. Six out of fifteen tents were randomly selected for the study with approximately 20 horse/stall pairs being sampled on a weekly basis. Following weekly collection for a total of 11 weeks, all samples were tested for the presence of common respiratory pathogens (EIV, EHV-1, EHV-4, ERAV, ERBV, and Streptococcus equi ss equi (S. equi)) using qPCR. A total of 19/682 nasal swabs (2.8%) and 28/1288 environmental stall sponges (2.2%) tested qPCR-positive for common respiratory pathogens. ERBV was the most common respiratory virus (17 nasal swabs, 28 stall sponges) detected, followed by EHV-4 (1 nasal swab) and S. equi (1 nasal swab). EIV, EHV-1, EHV-4 and ERAV were not detected in any of the study horses or stalls. Only one horse and one stall tested qPCR-positive for ERBV on two consecutive weeks. All the other qPCR-positive sample results were related to individual time points. Furthermore, only one horse/stall pair tested qPCR-positive for ERBV at a single time point. The study results showed that in a selected population of sport horses attending a multi-week equestrian event in the summer, the frequency of the shedding of respiratory viruses was low and primarily restricted to ERBV with little evidence of active transmission and environmental contamination.

Sports Persistence Among Ever Sexual Minorities: A Longitudinal Analysis of Add Health Waves I Through IV

Relative exclusion of sexual minorities (SM) from sports participation (SP) has been noted in cross-sectional data across cohorts of youth and adults. The relative lack of physical activity likely contributes to health disparities. Our aim was to determine associations between adolescent SP and adulthood team and individual SP among those ever identifying as SM (Ever SM). A complete case analysis was conducted with nationally representative data (n = 8,791) from the Add Health study across three timepoints (Waves I, III, and IV). In the full sample of Ever and Never SM, Ever SM were less likely to play team sports at Waves III and IV when adjusting for adolescent SP, race/ethnicity, age, and sex. SM status had no significant effect on individual SP. In a subpopulation analysis of Ever SM and adjusting for demographics, adolescent SP significantly predicted individual SP in adulthood (Wave III—odds ratio [OR]: 1.53; confidence interval [CI]: 1.04, 2.27; Wave IV—OR: 1.61; CI: 1.13, 2.30) but did not predict adulthood team SP at either adult wave (Wave III—OR: 1.40; CI: 0.94, 2.01; Wave IV—OR: 1.06; CI: 0.57, 2.00). These findings suggest disparities in team sports persistence by SM status, potentially contributing to reduced physical activity among SM throughout the lifespan. Targeted efforts to support the retention of SM athletes within team sports environments may contribute to overall well-being.

Acute Effects of a Combat Sport Environment on Self-Control and Pain Perception Inhibition: A Preliminary Study in a New Ecological Framework

Intense sports activities affect cognitive, perceptual, and physiological domains, possibly concurring in reducing pain perception and anxiety. Within a framework for a new socio-ecological narrative that considers opposition (such as fighting) and collaboration (cooperative learning) as carriers of self-control and pain perception inhibition, we investigated the acute effects of a judo-specific session on cognitive (inhibitory control and simple reaction time), perceptual (pain and fatigue), affective (anxiety) and physiological (hormone profile) domains. Eleven male black belt judokas (age 39.0 ± 13.9 years; training experience: 23.2 ± 14.4 years) were recruited and tested before and after judo randori and resting sessions. Inhibitory control and simple reaction time were assessed via the Flanker task and clinical reaction time test, pain and fatigue were assessed using Borg’s category-ratio scale (CR-10), and the state–trait anxiety inventory Y-1 test assessed anxiety. Glucose, insulin, cortisol, creatinine, and irisin levels were measured. Cognitive performance, perception of fatigue and physiological variables increased after randori bouts, while pain decreased. Inhibitory control, perception of pain, perception of fatigue and glucose, cortisol, and creatinine significantly differed (p &lt; 0.05) between randori and resting sessions. A high-intensity randori may induce acute beneficial effects on cognitive, perceptual, and physiological domains. Further studies should compare the results with the outcomes from a collaborative and non-agonist environment and confirm the socio-ecologic framework.

Body confident coaching: a pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating the acceptability of a web-based body image intervention for coaches of adolescent girls

Coaches influence athletes’ body image, but often feel ill-equipped to address body image concerns and inadvertently perpetuate harmful body ideals. No evidence-based, empirically-tested body image intervention for coaches exists. This study evaluated the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a novel web-based intervention (body confident coaching [BCC]), comprising five self-led 20-min modules. A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with 97 coaches of adolescent girls (M age = 36.6yrs, SD = 10.4; 70% women). Coaches were randomized into the intervention (n = 52) or waitlist control condition (n = 45). Intervention condition participants completed baseline self-assessments (demographics, target outcomes), took part in BCC over two weeks, and completed post-intervention self-assessments (target outcomes, acceptability, adherence). Waitlist control participants completed baseline (demographics, target outcomes) and post-intervention self-assessments (target outcomes), after which they received unmonitored access to the intervention. Intervention condition participants who completed post-intervention assessments (n = 16) finished all five modules and 75% reported engaging with the additional resources. Coaches found the intervention easy to follow, appropriate, useful, and enjoyable. Preliminary efficacy analyses indicated that the intervention condition reported higher levels of self-efficacy toward body image (η p 2 = .19), and lower levels of fat phobia (η p 2 = .39) and gender essentialist beliefs (η p 2 = .20) at post-intervention, compared to the waitlist condition. A limitation of this study is the small sample size and high attrition rate (51%), which may bias results. Following modifications to the intervention and trial protocol, BCC will be evaluated in a large-scale randomized controlled effectiveness trial. Lay summary: Body dissatisfaction is common among girls in sport, but coaches are unprepared and unskilled to address these concerns, and few resources for coaches exist. A new education program was found to be appropriate, useful, and enjoyable for coaches and improved their ability to recognize and address athletes’ body image concerns.