2013 NAGWS Grant: Youth Sport Coaches' Perceptions of Teaching Sportspersonship

Background/Purpose: Developing character and good sportspersonship are some of the many possible benefits that result from participation in youth sports (see Weiss, Smith, & Stuntz, 2008). Research has shown gender differences in athletes’ sportspersonship behaviors, suggesting that male and female athletes interpret and act upon moral dilemmas in sport differently. One possible explanation for these gender differences may be the socialization process (see Messner, 2009) and specifically coaches’ role in teaching about sportspersonship. According to Horn, Lox, and Labrador (2006), coaches may differ in the feedback given to athletes based on their expectations for players’ behaviors or performance and that coaches’ expectations can be influenced by gender stereotypes. Bolter and Weiss (2013) hypothesized that coaches may use different mechanisms for teaching boys and girls about sportspersonlike and unsportspersonlike conduct. Coaches may expect girls to play sports in a kind and non-aggressive way and in turn reinforce girls’ sportspersonlike behaviors. In contrast, coaches may expect boys to play more aggressively and thus be more likely to emphasize winning over being a good sport. The purpose of the present study was to examine coaches’ expectations regarding sportspersonship and whether those expectations are associated with gender¾the gender of the coach and the athletes.

Method: Female and male coaches who have coached both female and male young athletes will be recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Questions focus on (a) background information (e.g., years experience, teams coached, general coaching philosophy), (b) coaches’ definitions of good and poor sportspersonship for athletes and whether these differ by gender, and (c) how coaches teach athletes about good and poor sportspersonship and whether their coaching behaviors differ for male and female athletes.

Analysis/Results: Two researchers will independently review each interview transcript, relying on inductive analysis to allow themes to emerge from the data. The transcripts will be analyzed individually and summarily, with notation of common themes both within and across gender categories. Results will reveal coaches’ gender stereotypes related to sportspersonship and how these beliefs may affect coaches’ perceptions of their behaviors. Findings will be interpreted in terms of convergence among the disciplinary perspectives and theories underlying the study: positive youth development, sport psychology, and feminist cultural studies of sport.

Conclusions: Information gleaned can be used to increase coaches’ awareness of their beliefs and behaviors and in turn have a positive impact on young female and male sport participants.