Martin Camiré

Strategies for Helping Coaches Facilitate Positive Youth Development Through Sport

Coaches are arguably the most important actors in the youth sport context and play an influential role in facilitating or hindering the development of youth. Despite the great impact they can have on youth development, most coaches have limited training or knowledge on how to structure suitable environments to facilitate youth development. Over the last several years, our research group has conducted a number of studies with exceptional youth sport coaches. In this article, we present some of the strategies these coaches implemented in their coaching practice to promote positive development along with examples of challenges they confronted.

High school athletes’ perspectives on support, communication, negotiation and life skill development

There is a widespread belief that sport can be used as a tool to promote life skills and positive youth development. However, little research has examined athletes’ perspectives on the development of life skills in school‐based sport programmes, in which a vast amount of youth are involved. In addition, research has yet to examine how youth experience support, communication, and negotiation processes with parents and coaches in high school sport, elements that play a crucial role in life skill development. Taking this into consideration, the purpose of the study was to document high school athletes’ perspectives on support, communication, negotiation and life skill development. Results indicated that: (1) while variability was observed, many athletes believed they were able to negotiate many aspects of their sport participation with parents and coaches, (2) a large number of athletes believe they received adequate support from parents and were able to communicate with coaches, and (3) athletes believed high school sport participation allowed them to develop a number of life skills that could be transferred to other life domains.

High school athletes’ perspectives on character development through sport participation

Background: Results from empirical research on character development in sport remain mixed concerning the outcomes of sport participation, in part because character is a socially constructed concept that can be interpreted in a wide variety of manners. Furthermore, the majority of research in this field has been conducted employing quantitative methodologies and little is known concerning athletes’ experiences and perceptions of character development in sport. Taking into consideration this information, this study proposes to use qualitative methodologies to examine character development using A. Rudds framework of character development in sport from 2005. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to document the perspectives of high school athletes on the development using Rudds framework of character development in sport participation in a Canadian context. Participants and setting: Participants were recruited from a French-speaking high school of about 1000 students in the province of Quebec in Canada. Twenty student athletes (10 male, 10 female) from the four sports offered at this school (basketball, volleyball, soccer, and badminton) voluntarily agreed to take part in this study. Data collection: Interviews ranging from 30 to 63 minutes (M = 47) were conducted with each participant. Interviews were conducted in person at a mutually convenient time, either in a private room at school or at the participants home. Data analysis: Interviews were transcribed verbatim and both researcher and a peer with experience in qualitative research read and reviewed transcripts to identify meaningful responses from athletes. The software NVivo was used to assist in the coding and management of the data. Athletes’ responses were categorized according to the social and moral values found in Rudds framework. Findings: The majority of athletes appear to believe that social character best describes the development that occurs in sport and that gamesmanship is employed and legitimized as being part of the game. Conclusions: School administrators and coaches must be proactive and include character development initiatives in their programming in order to promote moral development and reduce incidences of gamesmanship in high school sports.

A grounded theory of positive youth development through sport based on results from a qualitative meta-study

ABSTRACT The overall purpose of this study was to create a model of positive youth development (PYD) through sport grounded in the extant qualitative literature. More specifically, the first objective was to review and evaluate qualitative studies of PYD in sport. The second objective was to analyze and synthesize findings from these studies. Following record identification and screening, 63 articles were retained for analysis. Meta-method analysis revealed strengths of studies were the use of multiple data collection and validity techniques, which produced high-quality data. Weaknesses were limited use of ‘named’ methodologies and inadequate reporting of sampling procedures. Philosophical perspectives were rarely reported, and theory was used sparingly. Results of an inductive meta-data analysis produced three categories: PYD climate (adult relationships, peer relationships, and parental involvement), life skills program focus (life skill building activities and transfer activities), and PYD outcomes (in personal, social, and physical domains). A model that distinguishes between implicit and explicit processes to PYD is presented.

Examining how model youth sport coaches learn to facilitate positive youth development

Background: Research indicates that some youth sport coaches have specific strategies in their coaching plan to facilitate positive youth development (PYD) while others struggle in articulating how they promote the development of their athletes in actual practice. These variations can be largely attributed to the fact that coaching is a complex activity and that coaches have varying levels of experience and education. Although many studies have explored how coaches learn to coach, to date, none have specifically examined how they learn to facilitate PYD. Purpose: To examine how Canadian model youth sport coaches learn to facilitate PYD. Participants and setting: Sixteen model high school coaches were purposefully recruited. Coaches were on average 33 years of age and had an average of 12 years of coaching experience. Participants were involved in individual and team sports (e.g. basketball, volleyball, soccer, wrestling, ice hockey). Data collection: Coaches participated in semi-structured interviews which lasted on average 76 min. Data analysis: A thematic analysis was performed. The content of the transcripts was subjected to descriptive treatment by segmenting the data into meaning units which were organised in categories according to the different situations in which coaches learn to coach (i.e. formal, non-formal, and informal). Findings: What characterised these model coaches was a genuine openness to learning as they intentionally sought out and took advantage of opportunities to gain knowledge on how to facilitate PYD. Formal, non-formal, and informal learning situations each played an integral role in the coaches’ overall learning process. Of note, some coaches discussed how becoming a parent was a significant life event that helped them reflect on the importance of using youth sport as a tool for development. Conclusions: The development of a coaching philosophy and a coaching practice based on facilitating PYD is a process that evolves over time through the reflection of ones experiences. Coaches can extend their own learning process by participating in learning communities or by accessing specialised websites that provide tools on how to promote the development of youth.

Definition and model of life skills transfer

ABSTRACT For a sport skill to be considered a life skill, it must be successfully transferred and applied beyond sport. Life skills transfer is an essential process, but it has yet to be fully delineated within the sport psychology literature. The purpose of the current paper is to present a definition and model of life skills transfer and outline future research needs. A critical review of the literature within sport psychology and other learning-based disciplines is offered to assess our current understanding of learning transfer. A definition and model of transfer are then presented, focusing on the athlete learner’s experience of life skills transfer. Within the model, we first examine how athletes bring personal assets and autobiographical experiences to sport. Second, we explore how sport is a learning environment with distinctive demands, programme designs, and coach characteristics and strategies. Third, we explain how transfer contexts provide environmental conditions, which, depending on how they are interpreted or experienced, can help or hinder the transfer of life skills. Ultimately, we postulate that an individual experiences life skills transfer as an ongoing process whereby he/she continually interacts and interprets his/her environments to produce positive or negative life skills transfer outcomes.

Implementation of a values training program in physical education and sport: perspectives from teachers, coaches, students, and athletes

Background: Past research has shown that under the right conditions, youth can learn values through physical education and sport (PES). Although some programs have been developed using PES as a means to foster positive development, a limited amount of research has specifically addressed how stakeholders believe this type of material can be promoted. Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the perspectives of physical education (PE) teachers, sport coaches, PE students, and athletes from a Singaporean school taking part in an instructional program designed to teach values through PES. The study was guided by the four research questions: (a) What were the perceived benefits of the values training program? (b) How did the participants believe that PE students and athletes were able to transfer the values learned in PES to daily applications? (c) What did the participants believe were factors that facilitated and/or hindered the transfer of values? and (d) What do the participants believe could improve future values training programs? Participants: A total of 38 participants (3 PE teachers, 3 sport coaches, 16 PE students, and 16 athletes) were purposefully selected for the present study. The PE teachers and sport coaches ranged in age from 26 to 38 years (M = 32; SD = 2.2), had an average of 7 years of teaching experience (SD = 1.6), and had an average of 2.5 years of coaching experience (SD = 1.2). The PE students and athletes ranged in age from 10 to 12 years (M = 11.7; SD = 0.99). Data collection: Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with PE teachers and sport coaches while focus-group interviews were used for PE students and athletes. Data analysis: The interview transcripts were analyzed using a thematic analysis that was driven by both the data and the research questions. Findings: The results revealed that: (a) PE teachers and sport coaches believed that the training program helped them acquire pedagogical strategies and increased their motivation for teaching values, (b) PE students and athletes believed that they were able to apply some of the values learnt through PES in non-sport settings, (c) purposefully designed activities by PE teachers and sport coaches facilitated the transfer of values, and (d) time constraints were the key challenge that hindered the learning and transfer of values. Conclusion: The current study indicated that for PES to be a context conducive to the learning of values, adult leaders must be trained appropriately, guided by established theories, such as Kolbs theory of experiential learning. PE teachers and sport coaches indicated how they believe that they have benefited from the training program by being better equipped to teach values through PES. Nevertheless, more interventions and more theory-based research are needed to ensure that PES is deliberately designed to provide youth with opportunities to improve as sportspersons and also citizens.

Extracurricular Activity Participation and the Acquisition of Developmental Assets: Differences between Involved and Noninvolved Canadian High School Students.

In order to prepare students for adulthood and responsible citizenship, most high schools offer extracurricular activities designed to facilitate the learning of a wide range of competencies. The purpose of this study was to examine how participation in a single or a combination of extracurricular school activities for high school students may impact both their developmental outcomes and their level of school engagement. Results indicated differences between youth who participated in a combination of both sport and nonsport activities as well as sport only activities compared to youth not involved in extracurricular activities on a number of developmental assets and school engagement. It is recommended that parents and adult leaders encourage and support students in their involvement in various extracurricular activities, including high school sport, in order to facilitate positive youth development.

Helping youth sport coaches integrate psychological skills in their coaching practice

Researchers have demonstrated the benefits of psychological skills training for athletes, but few studies have examined how coaches integrate such skills in their coaching practice. Empirical evidence indicates that the coaches have a preference to learn psychological skills in a user-friendly manner with consultant support. The purpose of the current study is to help youth sport coaches integrate psychological skills (leadership, goal-setting, self-awareness, visualisation) in their coaching practice. A sport psychology researcher worked with nine high school coaches from the sport of Canadian football during an entire season conducting interviews, workshops and observations. Findings indicated that the researcher was able to put in place an initiative that helped the coaches integrate psychological skills in their coaching practice. Generally, the coaches indicated that the partnership was beneficial but also mentioned how it could be improved in various ways. Findings are discussed using the current literature on youth development through sport and suggestions are offered to professionals working with youth sport coaches.

Examining the life skill development and transfer experiences of former high school athletes

Previous research has demonstrated how participation in high school sport can be conducive to the development of various life skills. However, there is a lack of exhaustive knowledge regarding the life skills that are developed in high school sport and how athletes believe these skills transfer to different life domains. The purpose of the current study was to examine the life skill development and transfer experiences of former high school athletes. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 male and 10 female participants (Mage = 31.95; SD = 13.74). A deductive thematic analysis was conducted using the conceptual model for life skills interventions. The findings illustrate specific examples of life skill development in sport and subsequent life skill application in life by the same participant, thereby providing evidence for the occurrence of the process of transfer. Participants discussed how they developed in high school sport and subsequently applied in life many of the life skills theorised to be associated with the basic psychological needs of autonomy (e.g. self-control), competence (e.g. coping with stress), and relatedness (e.g. social responsibility). The current study offers empirical evidence consistent with the notion that the life skills developed in high school sport can be transferred and applied in other life domains.