Improving school sport: teacher-coach and athletic director perspectives and experiences

Abstract

School sport can be a valuable contributor to the education and wellbeing of students. However, the school sport context faces numerous challenges. The purpose of the current study was to explore school sport from the perceptions and experiences of school athletic directors and teacher-coaches to better understand context and areas for change. Open-ended questionnaires were completed by teacher-coaches (n = 82) and athletic directors (n = 38) across all 10 provinces and 2 territories in Canada. A qualitative analysis of the data revealed three key themes: (a) shifting the culture of school sport; (b) building capacity to sustain school sport; and (c) club sport placing the future of school sport at risk. This research will provide greater insights into the Canadian school sport context to help inform actions to improve the experiences of those involved in school sport and ensure the sustainability of sport within the school system.