Developmental Experiences and Well-Being in Sport: The Importance of the Coaching Climate

TLDR

The study examined how coaching climate relates to youth developmental experiences and psychological well‑being. A survey of 202 youth athletes (average age 13.4) measured coaching climate, developmental experiences, and well‑being. Results showed that a supportive coaching climate was linked to better personal, social, and cognitive skills, goal setting, and initiative, and that personal and social skill development mediated the positive effects on self‑esteem, positive affect, and life satisfaction, suggesting coaches should adopt autonomy‑supportive behaviors.

Abstract

The present study explored the relationships between the coaching climate, youth developmental experiences (personal and social skills, cognitive skills, goal setting, and initiative) and psychological well-being (self-esteem, positive affect, and satisfaction with life). In total, 202 youth sport participants (M age = 13.4, SD = 1.8) completed a survey assessing the main study variables. Findings were consistent with Benson and Saito’s (2001) framework for youth development. In all analyses, the coaching climate was related to personal and social skills, cognitive skills, goal setting, and initiative. Mediational analysis also revealed that the development of personal and social skills mediated the relationships between the coaching climate and all three indices of psychological well-being (self-esteem, positive affect, and satisfaction with life). Interpretation of the results suggests that coaches should display autonomy-supportive coaching behaviors because they are related to the developmental experiences and psychological well-being of youth sport participants.