Follow-up evaluation of the Coaching for Life Skills online training program

Abstract

Coach education has been positioned as an important catalyst in enabling coaches to maximise the positive influence of high school sport on student-athlete development. The purpose of the study was to conduct a subsequent season follow-up evaluation, examining longer-term changes in coach-athlete relationship, coach interpersonal behaviours, and life skills teaching in coaches who completed the Coaching for Life Skills (CLS) online training program. A 2 × 2 prospective causal comparative design was used. Coaches (n = 285) were asked to complete follow-up measures during the high school sport season that followed their completion of the trial. The response rate was 36.84%, with the final sample consisting of 64 participants. Data were analysed using independent sample t-tests. From baseline to subsequent season follow-up, scores for coach-athlete relationship and coach interpersonal behaviours significantly increased for the CLS group and significantly decreased for the comparison group. No significant differences in scores were found on life skills teaching from baseline to subsequent season follow-up. The results suggest that the intervention may have helped CLS group coaches remain consistent in their use of relational coaching behaviours.