“School Coaches in the United States: Insights from the National Coach Survey”

Congratulations to Drs. Samantha Bates and Dawn Anderson-Butcher for their recently published article in Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators. The article “School Coaches in the United States: Insights from the National Coach Survey” was published in partnership with leaders of the Aspen Institute’s Project Play Initiative, one of the world’s premier organizations guiding the national agenda on youth sport, recreation, and play in the United States. This research represents findings from the first-ever National Coach Survey funded by Nike, the Susan Crown Exchange, and the Aspen Institute’s Sport and Society Initiative.

Bates shared, “This article is timely as the landscape of school sports is evolving. Coach demographics are changing, and so are their training needs. Our findings highlight opportunities for the school-based sport system to go beyond the X’s and O’s. We can better prepare coaches to work with youth who have experienced trauma or have mental health concerns. We can also provide stronger administrative supports and work with parents and caregivers to cultivate psychologically safe environments. By supporting coaches in these ways, we can help more kids thrive in sport.”

Results from the first National Coach Survey elevate the voices of school coaches and provide a game plan to strengthen the delivery of interscholastic sports. The National Coach Survey analysis reveals challenges and opportunities for U.S. school coaches and the administrators who support them.

To read the article, click here.
https://doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2024.2350914