Strategies for Helping Coaches Facilitate Positive Youth Development Through Sport

Abstract

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.