Youth sport volunteer coach motivation

Abstract

Each year, over 20 million youth participate in sport (Ewing & Seefeldt, 2002 Ewing, M. E. and Seefeldt, V. 2002. “Patterns of participation in American agency-sponsored youth sports”. In Children and Youth in Sport: A Biopsychosocial Perspective, Edited by: Smoll, F. L. and Smith, R. E. 39–59. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt. [Google Scholar]). Public parks and recreation agencies are increasingly reliant on volunteers to deliver services (Silverberg, Backman, & Backman, 2000 Silverberg, K., Backman, S. and Backman, K. 2000. Understanding parks and recreation volunteers: A functionalist perspective. Loisir et Societe/Society and Leisure, 23(2): 453–475. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). These volunteers are especially vital to the delivery of youth recreation and sport programs (Twyam, Ferrell, & Johnston, 2002/2003). Volunteer positions in sport programs, especially coach positions, are difficult to fill (Cuskelly, Taylor, Hoye, & Darcy, 2006 Cuskelly, G., Taylor, T., Hoye, R. and Darcy, S. 2006. Volunteer management practices and volunteer retention: A human resource management approach. Sport Management Review, 9: 141–163. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]), and the retention of youth coaches is low (Paiement, 2007 Paiement, C. 2007. Youth sport coaches: Factors that predict satisfaction with the coaching experience. Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport, 78(1): Axxvi–Axxviii. [Google Scholar]). The purpose of this study was to understand the motivations of youth sport coaches. A convenience sample of youth sport coaches completed the Volunteer Functions Inventory that measures motivations, along with demographic information. Results indicated that values were the most important function for youth sport coaches. A MANOVA revealed significant differences between first year and returning coaches for the functions of self-serving and personal growth but not for values and social. Implications for the recruitment and retention of youth sport coaches and future research are provided.