Youth sport has traditionally focused on developing athletes physically, technically, and tactically; however, it is important to consider the purposeful development of mental and emotional sport skills for these competitors. Youth athletes experience various stressors within their sport participation that impact their ability to successfully manage the sport environment. Youth sport coaches have a tremendous influence on their athletes and are in a position to help them develop the necessary skills to effectively confront the stress they experience. In addition, the International Sport Coaching Framework identifies six primary functions of coaches to help "fulfil the core purpose of guiding improvement and development" of youth athletes (International Council for Coaching Excellence, 2013, p.16). This article outlines the developmental stage considerations for working with youth athletes and a tool coaches can use to integrate mental skills development strategies into sport practices. Utilizing the evidence-based steps within this article fosters a holistic and developmentally appropriate approach to performance enhancement and personal development, as both are important objectives for youth sport coaches.

Abstract While many believe there is a societal role in the development of personal morals and ethics, the outcome is still an individualized approach for navigating the complex world in which we live. Forsyth (1980) offers one such theoretical perspective in which he posits that one’s ethical behaviors are a reflection of one’s moral philosophy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of one’s moral philosophy on perceptions of professional behaviors in the teaching and coaching setting. Specifically, researchers were interested in (a) differences in parents’ perceptions of professional behavior given the principal actor in the situation (i.e., teacher or coach) and (b) differences in parents’ perceptions of professional behavior given their individual moral philosophy (i.e., Situationist, Absolutist, Exceptionist, and Subjectivist). Participants in the study (N = 210) were asked to complete the Ethics Position Questionnaire and respond to a series of ethically toned situations reflecting either the coaching or teaching environment. Results indicate few differences exist in parental perceptions of professional behaviors in the teaching and coaching setting. However, one’s moral philosophy did influence responses on two of the scenarios (racial stereotyping and the use of harsh language). Results support the need for further research on professional behaviors and contextualized morals in the sport setting, specifically to better understand the moral lens through which parents perceive the behaviors of coaches and teachers. Results also support the need for a model of coaching education similar to that of teacher education

Although there appears to be greater acceptance and use of sport psychology (SP), fully integrating SP consultants and services into college athletic programs has yet to occur in most institutions. Decisions to initiate, continue, or terminate SP services are often made by coaches. Therefore, college coaches with access to services were interviewed to explore their beliefs and expectations about SP service use and how an SP consultant could work effectively with them and their athletes. Using consensual qualitative research methods, three domains in coaches’ perceptions of SP consultants were revealed: who they are, what they do, and how they do it. Findings illustrate the importance of being “on the same page” with coaches, developing self-reliant athletes, and making an impact while remaining in a supporting role.

Over the last two decades with Formula 1 leading the way, motorsports has grown to become one of the most popular spectator sports in the world (Gifford, 2006; Graham, 2012). Motorsports is a significant global industry valued at approximately $100 billion, with the United States (U.S.) representing the largest consumer at 26 percent (Connaughton & Madsen, 2007; Flenry, Angus, Jenkins, & Aylett, 2007; Klacik, 2012). NASCAR, with an estimated 75 million fans, rivals only the National Football League as the preeminent spectator sport in the U.S. (Wolfe, 2006). The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the second most watched regular season sport on television and NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal (72%) when buying products/services associated with the sport (O'Malley, 2002).Motorsports represents a sizeable portion of the entertainment industry influencing other major industries such as hospitality and tourism, and is comprised of a variety of constituents such as sanctioning bodies, race teams, drivers, race track operators, race promoters, race equipment suppliers, merchandise and services vendors, broadcast and media partners, and corporate partners and sponsors (Gailey & Young, 2012; Young, 2010). The health of the U.S. motorsports industry is directly tied to the economy, arguably more so than other sports (Edwards, Alderman, & Estes, 2010), with its almost singular reliance on sponsorship dollars to fund race teams. Economic impact studies in North Carolina and Indiana document the existence and growth of thousands of motorsports industry jobs (Connaughton & Madsen, 2007; Klacik, 2012). Yet, there are only a handful of four-year universities and colleges in the U.S. that offer programs in Motorsports Management (e.g., Belmont Abbey College, Winston-Salem State University, Indiana State University, East Tennessee State University, and Indiana University Purdue University - Indianapolis). Though such programs are relatively new and have typically evolved from traditional sport management degrees, motorsports practitioners have provided substantive input into the design of each program. Given the international aspects of the motorsports industry, we also note a number of universities in England such as Oxford Brookes University and Cranfield University that offer programs of study in Motorsports Engineering.In addition, industry insiders have provided antidotal evidence that identify certain personality characteristics that predict career success in motorsports (Jenkins et al., 2005). While much discussion and research addresses the career needs of sport management students in general (Mathner & Martin, 2012), there is an absence of academic research which focuses specifically on the characteristics of students entering the motorsports industry. In addition, prior research suggests certain segments of the sport management industry may view the importance of various job competencies differently (Cuskelly & Auld, 1991). Therefore, in an effort to begin the academic research stream, this exploratory study seeks to examine and compare personality traits of motorsports management students to those of practitioners in the industry. In addition, we examine and compare personality traits of motorsports management students to those of the general student population.BackgroundPersonality traits are those components of personality that are heritable, developmentally stable, and emotion-based. The traits, discovered or learned within a particular socio-cultural context, may also reflect personal goals and values (Eley, Eley, Young, & Rogers-Clark, 2010). The identification of preferred personality traits have been undertaken in most professions (Borges & Savickas, 2002); however, most empirical findings suggest there is no one type of person who chooses a given profession (Eley et al., 2010). Despite these findings, long term career success in the motorsports workforce may require individuals to possess specific personality traits. …

Female student athletes often desire a muscular body to be successful in sport, but this body type does not conform to traditional cultural norms of femininity. In this study, the authors qualitatively examined the experiences of female intercollegiate volleyball players to better understand their beliefs about their bodiesboth as athletes and as women outside of sportin addition to whether perceptions about their revealing sports uniforms were related to body image. Results indicated that body image among female student athletes is a multidimensional construct. Participants reported conflicting messages about their bodies in regard to how they look on the court and how they are supposed to look off the court. In addition, results suggested that revealing uniforms contributed to decreased body esteem, and these uniforms also distracted players and impacted on-court performance. Results are interpreted within the framework of objectification theory, and implications for psychologists working with female student athletes are provided.

We live in the age of the performance ethic. Youth sport, a highly visible and valued activity in communities across the nation, is a proving ground for children and parents alike. Fun sometimes eq...

In recent years, large scale sport organizations and national governing bodies have produced coaching education programs to prepare coaches to teach and mentor athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine: a) track & field coaches’ familiarity with the National Standards for Sport Coaches, b) the alignment of United States Track & Field (USATF) Developmental, Level I, and Level II coaching education programs with the National Standards for Sport Coaches, and c) the alignment of USATF Developmental, Level I, and Level II coaching education programs with coaches’ perceived needs for subject matter training. A 39-item survey was administered during a USATF certification course to measure coaches’ familiarity and perceptions. The results showed the vast majority of coaches (75.2%) were not familiar with the National Standards. At the time of assessment, the Developmental, Level I, and Level II courses were partially aligned with 25 of 40 standards at the Level 1, Level 3, or Level 5 accreditation levels. The courses were not aligned with 15 of 40 standards at any accreditation level. The majority of deficiencies existed in Domain 2: Safety and Injury Prevention, Domain 7: Organization and Administration, and Domain 8: Evaluation. While the USATF coaching education curriculum is partially aligned with many, but not all, of the national standards, the curriculum appears to contain subject matter training that coaches perceived as needed. Curricular revisions, including future directions of the USATF coaching education program, such as new courses and innovative use of technology, are presented.

Research indicates "having fun" is a frequently cited reason athletes give for participating in sport, and "lack of fun" is a motive for sport dropout (Coakley, 2008).According to the Youth Sports National Report Card (Citizens through Sport Alliance, 2005), sport has lost its childcentered focus.An understanding of track and field coaches' perceptions about what they emphasize and how they behave is needed to develop interventions to promote appropriate behaviors in the sport environment. Results:Interscholastic coaches agreed there was an appropriate emphasis on a variety of factors in the sport setting.A one-way ANOVA was used to determine if differences, based on level of certification, existed in perceptions of emphasis: winning [F(3, 135) = 2.56, p = .058],performance [F(3, 135) = 1.59, p = .195],enjoyment & fun [F(3, 134) = .43,p = .740],and developing character [F(3, 135) = .94,p = .424].None were identified.Coaches agreed they offered praise and encouragement to athletes.They were less likely to praise athletes for making mistakes in practice or competition.Yet, coaches reported praising athletes for trying new things.This inconsistency warrants further investigation because coaches may be sending a mixed message.Athletes may interpret this as, "coach thinks I am 'good' because I try new things, but I am 'not good' if I make mistakes."A one-way ANOVA was used to determine if differences, based on level of certification, existed in the seven perceived behaviors.None were identified.

Among the 7.7 million interscholastic athletes, more than one million compete in outdoor track and field (NFHS, 2011).Track and field has more female participants than any other sport, and has more male participants than any other sport except football.Track and field is clearly popular among high school athletes in the United States.

of PresentationNearly 7.7 million boys and girls participate in a wide variety of interscholastic sports (NFHS, 2011).The high level of participation requires many athletic directors to rely on lay coaches, without whom there can be no programs.Athletic administrators have recognized the need to train all coaches and have taken steps to require (or recommend) participation in state or national (or some combination of both) training programs.While administrators should be commended for this positive step, a significant deficiency remains.These training programs provide little guidance on how to intentionally integrate life skill training in the youth sport practice which may perpetuate the assumption that learning life skills are a natural byproduct of sport participation.This step-by-step training process for teaching life skills in youth sport is grounded in Kolb's (1984) Experiential Learning Model.Kolb's learning cycle has four components: 1) experiencing, 2) reflecting, 3) generalizing, and 4) applying.Though presented as discrete stages, the individual may experience multiple components at the same time.

The purpose of this study was to determine if NCAA Division I and III men’s basketball programs were in compliance with recommended pre- and post-activity stretching protocols. Questionnaires were sent to 500 NCAA Division I and Division III programs in the United States. Seventy-six coaches (75 males & 1 female) participated in the study. Chi-Square analysis (χ2(3,n=69) = 42.29, p≤0.001) indicated a greater combined percentage of static/pnf/ballistic stretches (10.14%, n=7) and combination of stretches (57.97%, n=40) than expected as compared to dynamic stretches (31.89%, n=22). Participants were asked during what period (pre- or post-activity) stretching should be emphasized. The results were significantly different from expected (χ2(4,n=76) = 129.28, p≤0.001), with a greater percentage of pre-activity stretches (26.31%, n=20) and both pre- and post-activity of stretches (60.52%, n=46) being reported as compared to post-activity stretches (13.15%, n=10). Some results seemed to be in conflict with current recommendations in the literature regarding pre-activity stretching practices.

Judge, LW, Bellar, D, Craig, B, Petersen, J, Camerota, J, Wanless, E, and Bodey, K. An examination of preactivity and postactivity flexibility practices of National Collegiate Athletic Association division I tennis coaches. J Strength Cond Res 26(1): 184–191, 2012—The purpose of this study was to determine if National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's tennis programs are in compliance with suggested current preactivity and postactivity stretching protocols. Questionnaires were sent to NCAA Division I men's tennis programs in the USA. Seventy-six coaches (73 men and 3 women) participated in the study. The results of the Chi-Square analysis suggest that the number of years of head coaching experience had a significant relationship with the preactivity stretching routines employed by coaches (p = 0.029). A significant difference was found between preactivity stretching routines and the key sources of influence for the foundation of knowledge regarding preactivity stretching (p = 0.012). Some results indicate that many tennis coaches do not use current suggested practices for preactivity stretching. The results of this study indicate that certification may influence how well research guidelines are followed. Further research is needed to delineate how these factors affect coaching decisions.

Research pertaining to pre-activity stretching and post-activity stretching has evolved over the past few decades; current research recommends specific pre-and post activities. PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine if the pre- and post-activity stretching perceptions and practices of college volleyball programs parallel the current research recommendations. METHODS: A total of 291 questionnaires were distributed via email to collegiate strength coaches from NCAA Division I universities. The questionnaire was designed to gather demographic, professional, and educational information, as well as specific pre-and post stretching practices by the coaches. The responses were examined by computing counts, frequencies, and means where applicable. SPSS Version 16.0 (.05 significance level) was used for all computations. SPSS-generated frequency tables were used to examine the influence of coach's certification. Pearson's chi-square tests were run where applicable. RESULTS: Respondents were primarily head coaches (85.7%), female (58.9%), and possessed an average of (13.75 yrs ± 7.58) of experience. The head coaches had an average of (14.22 yrs ± 7.57) of experience compared to (12.0 yrs ± 7.21) of experience for the assistant coaches. A large number of coaches (44.6%) did not possess a volleyball coaching certification nor a strength and conditioning coaching certification. Coaches typically prescribed a combination of static and dynamic stretching activities (44.0%) or solely dynamic stretching activities (42.0%) prior to the athletic event. To a much lesser extent coaches exclusively utilized static stretching activities (14.0%). Among coaches who incorporated dynamic stretching into the group warm-up, 57.9% subsequently allowed athletes to perform static stretching independently and/or with assistance from the athletic trainer or the massage therapist. Coaches typically used static stretching activities (71.4%) following the athletic event. Less often coaches used a combination of static and dynamic stretching activities (22.4%) and PNF stretching (6.1%). Coaches indicated athletes either always or almost always completed a stretching regime (54.0%) or stretching plus jogging regime (44.0%) after an athletic event. The majority of coaches indicated pre-activity group stretching was beneficial in terms of injury prevention (75.0%) and improved performance (69.1%). Similarly, coaches indicated post-activity group stretching was beneficial in terms of injury prevention (87.3%) and improved performance (69.6%). For the question “Do you think that pre-activity flexibility helps improve volleyball performance?” there was a significant difference found by coaching certification (yes, or no) via Pearson's chi-square test (χ2 = 3.931, p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: When comparing coaching-specific certification to pre-activity flexibility practices, it is clear that not all coaches are in compliance with suggested pre-activity flexibility recommendations. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study indicates that it is important for volleyball coaches to re-evaluate their own practices, perhaps cross-checking them with the practices of their peers and stay current with ongoing research.