Examining the relationships among the coaching climate, life skills development and well-being in sport

TLDR

The study used Benson and Saito’s positive youth development framework to examine how coaching climate, perceived life‑skills development, and psychological well‑being interrelate, and suggested that autonomy‑supportive coaching behaviours could foster these outcomes. The authors surveyed 326 British youth athletes (ages 11–18) using a questionnaire that measured coaching climate, eight perceived life‑skills domains, and three psychological well‑being indicators. Coaching climate was positively associated with perceived life‑skills development and psychological well‑being, and total life‑skills scores were positively linked to all three well‑being indicators, partially mediating the climate–well‑being relationship and supporting a pile‑up effect that underscores the importance of fostering multiple life skills in youth sport.

Abstract

Using Benson and Saito’s framework for positive youth development, we investigated the relationships between the coaching climate, young people’s perceived life skills development within sport, and their psychological well-being. British youth sport participants ( N = 326, M age = 13.81, range = 11–18 years) completed a survey assessing the coaching climate, participants’ perceived life skills development (teamwork, goal setting, time management, emotional skills, interpersonal communication, social skills, leadership, and problem solving and decision making) and psychological well-being (self-esteem, positive affect, and satisfaction with life). In all analyses, the coaching climate was positively related to young peoples’ perceived development of life skills within sport and their psychological well-being. Total life skills development (a summative score of all eight life skills scores) was positively related to all three psychological well-being indicators – providing support for the “pile-up” effect – and partially mediated the relationships between the coaching climate and participants’ psychological well-being. Interpretation of the results indicated that coaches should foster the development of multiple life skills in youth sport participants, as they are associated with participants’ psychological well-being. One way this can be achieved is through autonomy-supportive coaching behaviours.