Sample or specialize? Exploring youth sport coaches' perspectives and practices regarding sport specialization and sport sampling

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dc.contributor.authorCox, Alyssa
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeStrachan, Leisha (Kinesiology and Recreation Management)en_US
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeSchepp, Kirby (Kinesiology and Recreation Management)en_US
dc.contributor.supervisorTeetzel, Sarah
dc.contributor.supervisorTelles-Langdon, David
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-15T20:37:35Z
dc.date.available2022-08-15T20:37:35Z
dc.date.copyright2022-08-15
dc.date.issued2022-08-15
dc.date.submitted2022-08-15T16:32:29Zen_US
dc.degree.disciplineKinesiology and Recreation Managementen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts (M.A.)en_US
dc.description.abstractPrevious research associates early sport specialization with negative athlete outcomes such as injury and burnout. Despite the growing body of research cautioning against specializing early, many young athletes continue to pursue one sport at the exclusion of others, and little is known about coaches’ roles in influencing young athletes’ decisions to specialize or undertake multisport experiences. This research examines the perceptions and practices of a sample of youth sport coaches regarding sport sampling and sport specialization, and it investigates how a sample of coaches perceive and implement the recommendations contained in Sport for Life Canada’s (2019) Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity 3.0 framework (LTD model). Specifically, nine youth club basketball coaches from Manitoba who are working with athletes in the Train-to-Train age category (females ages 11-15, or males ages 12-16) completed a questionnaire and participated in a one-on-one semistructured interview to gather in-depth information about each coach’s perceptions and behaviours regarding sport sampling, sport specialization, and long-term athlete development, as well as whether their philosophical perceptions and coaching behaviours align with the LTD model. From the questionnaires and interviews it was found that: (1) coaches are committed to the principle that athletes should sample but have difficulty explaining how their beliefs translate into action with their teams, (2) athletes continue to undertake too much training, (3) the youth sport system is broken, (4) coaches are aware of the LTD model but lack the tools to apply it with their teams, and (5) coaches apply a variety of strategies to accommodate athletes who play multiple sports while maintaining expectations of commitment and hard work within their programs. As coaches participating in this study believe that athletes should sample and provide flexibility in their programming to accommodate athletes who play multiple sports, yet many athletes continue to specialize and overtrain, systemic factors remain in the youth sport system that prevent coaches from effectively implementing the LTD model. These results have potential applications in coach education as well as for sport organizers and governing bodies that make programming decisions that impact athlete development.en_US
dc.description.noteOctober 2022en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/36687
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsopen accessen_US
dc.subjectSport specializationen_US
dc.subjectSport samplingen_US
dc.subjectLong-term athlete developmenten_US
dc.subjectYouth sporten_US
dc.subjectCoachingen_US
dc.subjectSport policyen_US
dc.subjectManitobaen_US
dc.subjectQualitativeen_US
dc.subjectInterviewsen_US
dc.titleSample or specialize? Exploring youth sport coaches' perspectives and practices regarding sport specialization and sport samplingen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
local.subject.manitobayesen_US
oaire.awardTitleLyle Makosky Values and Ethics in Sport Funden_US
oaire.awardURIhttps://truesportfoundation.ca/lyle-makosky-values-and-ethics-in-sport-fund-application-form/en_US
project.funder.nameTrue Sport Foundationen_US
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