Youth Sport Experiences Research Articles

Lower-Limb Amputees in Olympic Weightlifting

The coach serves an integral role in shaping the youth sport experience. For athletes with disabilities, participation in sports may be a negative experience because their coach may misperceive or misunderstand their behaviors. More educational material about coaching adaptive athletes would help bridge the information gap between weightlifting coaches and the adaptive community. Because the number of adaptive athletes in the sport of weightlifting is steadily rising, it is becoming increasingly important that coaches of these athletes understand how they can facilitate the athlete’s lifelong enjoyment of the sport. Coaches should not be intimidated by adaptive athletes. Due to the unique nature of individual circumstances, it can be difficult to generalize about the most effective ways to train adaptive athletes. In recent years, USA Weightlifting (USAW) has introduced measures designed to increase accessibility of the sport for disabled athletes. These measures are summarized, analyzed, and presented in this article in a way that the authors are able to make training recommendations for athletes with lower-lib amputations. In addition, the psychological aspects of adapted weightlifting are briefed and analyzed culminating in recommendations for athletes engaging in weight training and coaches who work with athletes with amputation.

An Intervention to Address Youth Sport Parent Spectator Behaviors in Louisiana: Lessons for Future Research and Social Work Practice.

Parent spectator behaviors present significant challenges within the youth sports environment. The role of parents in the youth sport experience is often overlooked, despite its documented importance to the family’s youth sports experience. In order to better understand parental spectator behavior, a family systems approach guided an intervention study conducted within the state of Louisiana after a new law passed in 2019 to address these concerns. Using an adapted measurement version of the background anger instrument, results documented the role of education in addressing these concerns. The study prompts further examination of behaviors, in light of disparities between parent observations and their own personal behaviors. Implications for future intervention research on spectator behaviors and social work practice in the youth sport setting are highlighted.

Coaching on the Talent Pathway: Understanding the Influence of Developmental Experiences on Coaching Philosophy

There is compelling evidence supporting the critical role of high-quality coaching practice in supporting talented youth athletes through and beyond the talent pathway. The purpose of this study was to explore the coaching philosophies of ex-talent pathway athletes and how the meaning and purpose of their coaching in a talent pathway was influenced by their previous pathway experience. Nine participants were purposefully sampled based on their prior involvement as a youth athlete in a talent pathway and current involvement coaching in a talent pathway. The participants identified how their pathway experience influenced their coaching philosophy and applied coaching practice. Specifically, the participants described how their own youth sport experience influenced their current coaching practice through the formation of a developmental coaching philosophy, through their applied coaching practice orientated towards supporting individual development, and by using their previous pathway experience to support coaching success. These findings suggest that the philosophy underpinning talent pathway coaches’ practice was influenced by their own pathway experience, and the purpose of their practice was orientated to positively impact youth development for and beyond sport. Thus, talent pathways in sport have the capability to be recognised as positively influencing the developmental experiences of future coaching practitioners.

A grounded theory of the influences affecting youth sport experiences and withdrawal patterns

Despite a vast body of research on youth sport withdrawal, our understanding of youth athletes’ withdrawal experiences is limited by an overemphasis on descriptive-quantitative methodological approaches and models of withdrawal that are not grounded in sport stakeholders’ experiences . The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore sport stakeholders’ perspectives on the influences that affect youths’ sport experiences and withdrawal patterns. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 participants; 15 athletes (eight males and seven females, 11–19 years of age), 10 parents (five fathers and five mothers, 40–55 years of age), and seven youth sport coaches (four males and three females, 28–58 years of age). Open and focused coding procedures, memo writing, and diagraming were used during the data analysis. The participants’ responses revealed that youth sport experiences and withdrawal patterns were informed by their subjective interpretations of personal (e.g., competence), social (e.g., coach-athlete relationships), and organizational (e.g., costs) influences. Youth withdrawal patterns included within-sport transfer, sport-specific termination, and organized sport termination. Age and gender were also interpreted as having an impact on personal, social, and organizational influences as well as reported withdrawal patterns. This study advances current youth sport literature by offering a theory of the influences affecting youth athletes’ sport experiences and withdrawal patterns grounded in stakeholders’ perspectives. Recommendations for future research and practice are suggested. Lay Summary: A theoretical model grounded in sport stakeholders’ perspectives was developed to demonstrate how youth sport experiences and withdrawal patterns are informed by their interpretations of personal, social, and organizational influences. Withdrawal patterns included: within-sport transfer, sport-specific termination, and organized sport termination. The theoretical model may be used to help stakeholders design and deliver more developmentally appropriate youth sport.

Gender-Typed Sport Practice, Physical Self-Perceptions, and Performance-Related Emotions in Adolescent Girls

Youth sport experience provides opportunities for physical, personal, and social development in youngsters. Sport is a social system in which socially constructed gender differences and stereotypes are incorporated, and specific sport activities are often perceived as gender characterized. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between some salient physical and emotional self-perceptions and the type of sport practiced. A sample of 261 female athletes, aged 14–21 years (Mage = 15.59, SD = 2.00), practicing different sports, categorized as feminine (e.g., artistic and rhythmic gymnastics), masculine (e.g., soccer and rugby), or neutral (e.g., track and field and tennis), took part in a cross-sectional study. Significant differences were observed between aesthetic sports and other types of sports. Athletes involved in aesthetic sports reported the lowest values in their feelings of confidence and the highest values in feelings of worry related to competition. This may be attributed to the evaluation system of aesthetic sports, in which the athlete’s performance is evaluated by a jury. At the same time, they reported low values of dysfunctional psychobiosocial states associated with their general sport experience, likely because of their physical appearance close to the current body social standards for girls. Notwithstanding the differences by type of sport, athletes of all disciplines reported high mean values of functional psychobiosocial states, suggesting that their overall sporting experience was good.

Gamification and physical education. Viability and preliminary views from students and teachers

ABSTRACT Background: A novel pedagogical approach that is becoming increasingly popular in educational contexts is called Gamification. To our knowledge, empirical research on its effectiveness in education is scarse, and almost absent in physical education. Purpose: The goal was to explore how Gamification can be used in physical education, and what experiential effects may have on students and teachers. Participants and settings: Two hundred and ninety students (age range 6–14 years) enrolled in four schools located in four regions of Spain agreed to participate. The study involved five different grades (from year two of primary school to year two of secondary school), and 12 different classes. Four physical education teachers, one from each school, also agreed to participate. All participating classes experienced the same intervention programme: MarvEF [MarvPE], based on the Marvel universe of super heroes. The project lasted 15 weeks, the whole fall semester, for a total of 30 physical education sessions (2 per week/50 min each). Gamification was the basic methodological approach used to design the three consecutive learning units experienced by all the participating students. Research design: The study followed a pre-experimental, one group pre-test-post-test design, where the same dependent variable (intrinsic motivation) is measured in only one group of participants prior and after the intervention. Data collection: A mixed methods approach was followed. It included quantitative information obtained from a questionnaire for the older students (n = 161), and qualitative information extracted from the younger students’ drawings (n = 126), discussion groups with the participating teachers (n = 5), and teachers’ diary (n = 2). Data analysis: Quantitative data was analysed using the statistical package SPSS (version 22.0). Qualitative data was assessed through content analysis and constant comparison. Findings : Quantitative results showed a significant increase in the students’ intrinsic motivation after experiencing Gamification. Students’ responses reflected one major theme: enjoyment, and two minor themes: friends and learning. On the other hand, teachers’ responses showed three themes: workload, portfolio and narrative. Conclusions: Gamification, implemented on a long-term basis, has been found an instructional framework capable of increasing students’ motivation towards physical education, beyond the initial ‘novelty effect’. Students enjoyed the different approach, and some, despite their young age (seven-eight years), believed that they have learned (which upgrades the education value of the subject). Four of the five elements identified as central to promote meaningful experiences in physical education and sport appeared in this study (Beni, Fletcher, and Ní Chróinín [2017]. ‘Meaningful Experiences in Physical Education and Youth Sport: A Review of the Literature.’ Quest (grand Rapids, Mich ) 69 (3): 291–312.): social interaction, fun, challenge and learning. Therefore, Gamification has the ingredients to foster significant physical education experiences in different educational levels (primary and secondary education), in students with different social (low, medium and high socio-economic status) and educational backgrounds (urban, rural) and teachers with different expertise on Gamification (novel and experienced). Finally, as expected, teachers showed concern for the workload of the new pedagogical approach.

The 2 × 2 model of perfectionism and negative experiences in youth sport

ObjectivesResearch has found that the four subtypes of perfectionism from the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism (i.e., Non-perfectionism, Pure PSP, Pure ECP, and Mixed perfectionism) are associated with different youth sport experiences. Extending this research, the current study examined the 2 × 2 model in regard to undesirable outcomes indicative of negative experiences in youth sport: negative (and positive) affect, anxiety, antisocial (and prosocial) behavior, and intentions to dropout of sport. DesignA cross-sectional design was employed. MethodTwo hundred and twenty-two youth sports participants (65 males, 157 females, M age = 13.51 years, SD = 1.53 years, range = 11–18 years) were recruited from a variety of school- and community-based sports and completed a multi-section questionnaire. ResultsRegression analyses revealed that, for the most part, Pure ECP was associated with the most negative experiences (higher negative affect, anxiety, and intentions to dropout and lower positive affect) and Pure PSP was, typically, associated with the least negative experiences (lower negative affect, anxiety, antisocial behavior, and intentions to dropout and higher positive affect) in youth sport. One notable exception was antisocial behavior towards teammates and competitors for which Mixed perfectionism was most problematic. ConclusionThe findings suggest that the four subtypes of perfectionism can be distinguished based on their association with both negative and positive experiences in youth sport.

Mastery and Belonging or Inspiration Porn and Bullying: Special Populations in Youth Sport

This paper examines the factors that make up a high-quality youth-sport experience for special-population children. It is important to note that special-population youth are often very similar to nondisabled children (e.g., seeking enjoyment in sport), but they experience different contexts and socialization experiences such as fewer opportunities and more barriers to sport participation. The author first examines positive factors in the youth-sport experience and discusses mastery experiences and the generation of positive affect. He also discusses how sport can promote feelings of belongingness, freedom, and independence. In the second part of the paper he discusses how the youth-sport experience can contribute to a negative experience by examining bullying and teasing, as well as “inspiration porn.” Inspiration porn is a relatively new concept in the disability literature that has not been discussed in a sport context. The author proposes a five-component model that links anecdotal reports of inspiration porn to theory, thus providing a basis for future research on inspiration porn. Throughout the paper he examines research in each area, theories used, important findings, salient take-home points, and future research directions and imbues the paper in a disability social-relational model that asserts that individual, social, environmental, and cultural factors all play a role as proximal and distal influences in the sport experiences of special-population youth.

Advancing Youth Sport Scholarship: Selected Directions and Considerations

Youth sport research has expanded considerably since the founding of the Michigan State University Institute for the Study of Youth Sports in 1978. This research has resulted in meaningful advancements in knowledge and proved enormously valuable in both safeguarding athlete well-being and fostering positive sport experiences. There are still knowledge gaps in the scholarly literature that have important implications for youth sport participants and programs. Hopefully, the quantity and quality of the scholarly literature on youth sport will continue to expand in response to broader societal changes and scientific advances. This paper addresses the future of youth sport scholarship, focusing on 3 selected areas of promise. The first pertains to positive youth development work, including efforts tied to fostering economic opportunity among young people. The second pertains to youth sport as a domain for addressing public health, an emerging area with respect to physical activity promotion, injury surveillance, physical well-being, and mental health. Finally, the paper addresses implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for youth sport and how this might shape scholarship over the coming decades. Pursuing these areas of research while attending to important opportunities for and challenges to the promotion of developmentally appropriate youth sport experiences is expected to meaningfully contribute to knowledge and, ultimately, the well-being of young athletes.

Moral Behavior in the Locker Room Predicts Perceptions of Task Cohesion in Youth Ice Hockey Player.

Task cohesion (i.e., perceptions of team unity towards a task goal and positive feelings towards one’s own involvement) is associated with myriad psychosocial benefits for youth athletes. Accordingly, sport researchers and youth sport stakeholders are interested in ways of fostering task cohesion. Recent work has found evidence that prosocial and antisocial behaviors among teammates are associated with athletes’ perceptions of task cohesion; however, this research has been limited to moral behavior that takes place during gameplay. Despite youth sport experiences extending well beyond practices and games, we know very little about how moral behavior between teammates, in settings outside gameplay, relates to perceptions of task cohesion. To address this knowledge gap, the current study investigated whether prosocial and antisocial behaviors in the locker room setting were associated with perceptions of task cohesion in a sample of 238 youth male ice hockey players (Mage = 10.75). Using hierarchical regression analyses, our results revealed that (a) perceptions of peer prosocial behavior was positively associated with task cohesion, (b) perceptions of peer antisocial behavior was negatively associated with task cohesion, and (c) self-reported perceptions of participants’ own moral behavior was not significantly associated with task cohesion. Given the association with perceptions of task cohesion, these findings underline the value in promoting prosocial behavior and reducing antisocial behavior in sport settings outside gameplay and hold multiple theoretical and practical implications. Notably, moral behavior that takes place outside gameplay settings may be related to perceptions of task cohesion that primarily relates to goals and interactions during gameplay.

Pathways from youth to masters swimming: Exploring long-term influences of youth swimming experiences

ObjectivesSome swimmers, “continuers,” transition directly from youth swimming into masters swimming. Others, “rekindlers,” take time off before returning to swimming as masters athletes. The purpose of this study was to explore how youth swimming experiences shape subsequent participation in masters swimming. DesignThis research was guided by a qualitative description method, as described by Sandelowski (2000). MethodTwenty masters swimmers (10 men and 10 women, M age = 40.5 years) were purposefully selected for semi-structured retrospective interviews regarding their youth swimming experiences and transitions into masters swimming. Eight were continuers, and 12 were rekindlers. Data were submitted to qualitative content analysis. ResultsAnalyses revealed disruptive, attractive, and enabling forces stemming from youth swimming. For rekindlers, high training volume in youth swimming led to negative physical and emotional consequences and scheduling conflicts between swimming and other activities. When they felt their performance was no longer improving, these costs led them to drop out of youth swimming. In contrast, the continuers’ focus on enjoyment, social aspects, and other non-performance-related reasons for swimming led to a smooth transition from youth swimming into masters swimming. As adults, rekindlers had confidence in their swimming abilities because of their youth training, but they required a shift away from performance-related motives in order to return to swimming. ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate the varied and long-lasting influences of youth sport experiences on adult sport participation. They also point to some specific theoretical and practical implications for researchers, coaches, parents, and club administrators.

Three strikes and you’re out: culture, facilities, and participation among LGBTQ youth in sports

ABSTRACTSchool-based sports and physical education play an important role in the development of youth (Jones, Edwards, et al., 2017), but participation in athletics is unequal for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth compared to their straight/cisgender peers [Greenspan, S. B., Griffith, C., & Murtagh, E. F. (2017). LGBTQ youths’ school athletic experiences: A 40-year content analysis in nine flagship journals. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 11(3), 190–200]. Sport cultures, generally, recreate dynamics of exclusion for marginalized youth. However, there are opportunities to transform these spaces into more inclusive and positive environments to support positive growth for all young people [Newman, T., Alvarez, A., & Kim, M. (2017). An experiential approach to sport-based positive youth development. Journal of Experiential Education, 40(3), 308–322]. Our study uses a data set of adolescents, collected as part of a community-based participatory action research project led by high school students in southeast Michigan, USA. Respondents reported their sexual and gender identities, as well as experiences in youth sport, as well as safety using sex-segregated facilities (i.e., bathrooms and locker-rooms). Using mediation models based on linear regression, we found evidence that LGBQ high school students play sports at a significantly lower rate compared to straight students, and among those who play sports, LGBTQ respondents felt significantly less safe compared to straight and cisgender students. Opposite to the LGBQ and trans youth in this study, straight/cisgender youth also reported feeling safer using all facilities. The mediation models suggest that these inequalities help to explain disparities in rates of sports participation and feelings of safety while participating. These findings have important implications for policy, practice, and future research.

Coaching Athletes With Hidden Disabilities: Using Universal Design for Learning to Effectively Coach all Athletes

The coach serves an integral role in shaping the youth sport experience. For athletes with hidden disabilities (HD), participation in sports may be a negative experience because their coach may misperceive or misunderstand their behaviors. This can lead to attrition, and the resultant loss of opportunity to gain the many benefits sports can offer. However, there are research validated strategies that can help coaches more effectively teach and work with athletes within the educational realm that has yet to be implemented within coaching education. These strategies fall under a framework called Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a proactive approach in which coaches anticipate diversity and plan accessible activities. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the recent research on coaching athletes with HD, and to provide practical tips for coaching not only athletes with HD, but rather ALL athletes, in the most effective way using Universal Design for Learning.

The 2 × 2 model of perfectionism and youth sport participation: A mixed-methods approach

ObjectivesResearch demonstrates that four subtypes of perfectionism from the 2 × 2 model are associated with different youth sport experiences. This study provided the first exploration of the experiences of youth sport participants exhibiting different subtypes of perfectionism using mixed-methods. DesignA two-stage, mixed-methods, approach was adopted (quantitative identification then qualitative data collection). MethodIn stage one (quantitative identification), 192 females enrolled in school- or community-based sport groups (M age = 13.91; SD = .90; range 12–16 years) completed a domain-specific perfectionism instrument (Sport-MPS-2) to identify participants prototypical of the four subtypes of perfectionism. In stage two (qualitative data collection), 19 prototypical participants (M age = 13.74; SD = .65; range 13–15 years) described their experiences of their youth sport involvement. One focus group (n = 4 to 5 per group) and one follow-up individual, semi-structured, interview (n = 4 in total) per subtype were conducted. ResultsThematic analysis revealed that the meaning youth sport participants gave to their sport involvement (i.e., goals, values, and purposes) and the features of the social-environment they perceived to be important differed between the four subtypes of perfectionism. For the “pure PSP” and “mixed perfectionism” subtypes, sport was a time to shine and experience success. For the “non-perfectionism” and “pure ECP” subtypes, sport was a place to make friends and belong. Participants from all four subtypes described the importance of the coach and peers, with some groups identifying different preferred roles for the coach in terms of type and amount of involvement. ConclusionsYouth sport participants exhibiting different subtypes of perfectionism vary in their experiences of youth sport. Practitioners working with young people in sport should consider these differences so to better understand and improve youth sport experiences.

Determining If Competition Level Matters in Developing Positive and Negative Youth Sportsmanship

Millions of young athletes engage in youth sport every year at a variety of levels ranging from beginning instruction up through elite national competitions. Parents are frequently registering these youth in sport for a variety of benefits including the frequently mentioned purpose of “building character”. Although a vague term, building character is often associated with the concept of moral behavior or sportsmanship. Youth sport professionals hoping to develop programs focused on the benefits of improving sportsmanship should understand how all aspects of their programs can either improve or hinder these types of behaviors. This requires a greater understanding of how the level of competition will contribute to both positive and negative sportsmanship behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if differences in positive and negative sportsmanship behaviors exist at various levels of competitive youth sport experiences. To accomplish this, systematic observations occurred at two different soccer tournaments. The first tournament was designed for elite athletes in the Mountain West region of the US while the second tournament was more recreationally based and was located in the South East. A total of 62 games were observed of young athletes in the U-12 and U-14 age groups. Prior to observing these games, observers went through an extensive training to ensure that they could reach 80% agreement in their observations of both the positive and negative sportsmanship behaviors engaged in by the athletes, spectators, and coaches of each game. Results from this study suggest a lack of difference between the two competitive levels in terms of positive sportsmanship behavior, but a significant (<i>p</i> < 05) difference did exist between the elite athletes and recreational athletes in the number of negative sportsmanship behaviors demonstrated in a half game with the elite athletes engaging in nearly four times as many negative sportsmanship behaviors. Although some limitations do exist, youth sport professionals can use this information in a variety of ways. To begin, programs targeted at improving sportsmanship now know how to better target their efforts. This can be done through additional trainings for the programs serving elite athletes. Finally, it is important to note that programs at all levels were demonstrating many positive qualities. Consequently, it would behoove youth sport professionals to attempt to minimize the negative behaviors without eliminating the opportunities for athletes, coaches, and spectators to behave positively.

Youth sports and physical activity: The relationship between perceptions of childhood sport experience and adult exercise behavior

ObjectiveParticipation in organized youth sports has been shown to positively correlate with increased levels of exercise in adulthood. However, there is limited research to suggest why youth sports participation is related to increased physical activity as an adult. One possible explanation is that positive youth sport experiences lead youth to be more positively inclined to engage in physical activity as adults. Research into the positive youth development aspect of organized sports provides the framework for the current investigation. MethodsAdult participants (N = 234, Mage = 35.35) were asked to retrospectively assess their youth sports experiences using the “Four C's” (i.e., competence, confidence, connectedness, character) framework of positive youth development in sport. These assessments were then compared to current physical activity levels and related variables found in the Health Action Process Approach model (HAPA; Schwarzer, 2008). ResultsBivariate correlations revealed statistically significant and moderate correlations among competence, confidence, and connectedness and all of the HAPA variables including physical activity levels. Further, a MANCOVA analysis revealed that when participants were sub-divided into “non-intenders,” “intenders,” and “actors” using a validated staging algorithm, a general linear trend emerged for competence, confidence, and connectedness such that “non-intenders” rated these constructs the lowest and “actors” rated them the highest. ConclusionThese findings provide preliminary evidence that the relationship between participation in organized youth sports and adulthood levels of exercise could be contingent on how positively that experience is perceived.

Re-characterizing confidence because of religious and personal rituals in sport: findings from a qualitative study of 15 year old student-athletes

Sport psychology research on athletic confidence could be enriched if athletes’ use of religious and personal rituals in sport is considered when characterizing confidence. Drawn from interviews with twelve 15-year-old student-athletes at two Canadian Catholic high schools, this paper reports that youth used religious and personal rituals – such as spiritual self-reflection, superstitions, prayer and religious rituals – for building confidence because of the felt intensity of competition. It is concluded that in order to better incorporate factors like religious background when understanding player confidence, researchers should pay attention to existential and spiritual dimensions of human living, and by extension, analyse youth sport experiences as both performance and as ritual, thus legitimizing the organic incorporation of religious and personal rituals in athletic competition. This paper acts as a step in deeper explorations of the spiritual side of sport psychology regarding confidence boosting for peak performance.

Young Female Soccer Players’ Perceptions of Their Modified Sport Environment

Competitive engineering is a process whereby sport organizations modify the rules, facilities, and equipment involved in sport to facilitate desirable athlete outcomes and experiences. Competitive engineering is being increasingly adopted by youth sport organizations with empirical evidence positively supporting its influence on skill development and performance. The purpose of this study was to explore young female athletes’ experiences in their modified soccer environment. Seventeen recreational and competitive soccer players, aged 8–11, participated in semistructured photo elicitation interviews that featured several visual qualitative methods (i.e., athlete-directed photography, drawing exercises, and pile-sorting) to facilitate insight on their sport environments. Results revealed that the athletes’ competitively engineered soccer experience was perceived as being a distinct environment that emphasized personal development, positive relationships, and the underlying enjoyment of sport. These findings shed light of how youth sport structure modifications influence the athletes’ experiences, providing practical implications to further promote positive youth sport experiences.

Are all sport activities equal? A systematic review of how youth psychosocial experiences vary across differing sport activities

ObjectiveModels of sport development often support the assumption that young athletes' psychosocial experiences differ as a result of seemingly minor variations in how their sport activities are designed (eg, participating...

Profiling perpetrators of interpersonal violence against children in sport based on a victim survey

The current article reports on perpetrator characteristics gathered in the first large-scale prevalence study on interpersonal violence against children in sport in the Netherlands and Belgium. Using retrospective web survey design, 4043 adults answered questions on their experiences in youth sport. The study looks at the number of perpetrators as well as individual descriptive characteristics (sex, age, and role in the sport organization) of perpetrators of psychological, physical and sexual violence as reported retrospectively by victim-respondents. This information was then clustered to provide an overview of the most common perpetrator profiles. Results show that in all types of interpersonal violence in sport, perpetrators are predominantly male peer athletes who frequently operate together in (impromptu) groups. Several differences between the three types of interpersonal violence are highlighted. While incidents of physical violence perpetrated by coaches tend to be less severe compared to those by other perpetrators, acts of sexual violence committed by a coach are significantly more severe. The presented findings shed new light on perpetrators of interpersonal violence in sport, nuancing the predominant belief that the male coach is the main perpetrator while providing nuanced information that can be utilized to improve prevention and child protection measures and other safeguarding initiatives in sport.