High School Student-Athlete Perspectives on Coach Behaviors: Insights Beyond the Xs and Os
Samantha Bates & Keith McShan
What the paper says
This study explores high school student-athlete perceptions of coaching behaviors following the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on informing future coach-preparation efforts. Using qualitative analysis of seven focus groups with 50 student-athletes, the study identified key themes that support the creation of positive sport environments. Athletes favored coaches who fostered caring, task-involving, and autonomy-supportive climates that prioritized well-being, personal growth, and emotional support. By contrast, authoritarian leadership styles, punitive behaviors, and poor emotional regulation were perceived as detrimental to athlete development and well-being, particularly during the transition back to school and sport. Findings emphasize the importance of equipping coaches with the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to meet student-athletes’ evolving psychosocial needs in a postpandemic context. Preparing coaches to build healthy, high-quality relationships with their athletes can promote resilience, enhance mental health outcomes, and ensure positive and developmentally supportive sport experiences for high school athletes.
1 citation
Evidence weight
Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40
| F · citation impact | 0.16 × 0.4 = 0.06 |
| M · momentum | 0.53 × 0.15 = 0.08 |
| V · venue signal | 0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03 |
| R · text relevance † | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.