Youth sport coaches play a critical role in influencing developmental outcomes for athletes, including prolonged engagement in sport and physical activity, life skill development, and resilience. However, due to lack of knowledge, limitations in organizational support, or personal and professional experiences, coaches do not always engage in coaching behaviors that promote this growth and well-being. Within this body of literature, there are gaps in examining how specific coach experiences, like stress and burnout, influence coaching behaviors. Using Self Determination Theory (SDT), the current study utilized a cross-sectional design to explore the relationships among stress, burnout, need-supportive behaviors, and need-thwarting behaviors. Researchers collected survey responses from 353 youth sport coaches across the United States. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results (χ2 = 1,869.67; CFI = .96; SRMR = .07; RMSEA = .045) revealed that burnout was a stronger predictor of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors than stress. Coaches reporting higher levels of burnout also reported less use of need-supportive behaviors (p < .01) and more use of need-thwarting behaviors (p < .01). Stress was not found to be a strong predictor even though most coaches in the sample reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress. Findings indicate a need to support youth sport coaches by utilizing strategies to reduce rates of coach burnout and support coaches experiencing burnout.
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