How coaches learn to teach life skills to adolescent athletes

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the learning situations in which coaches report having learned to teach life skills to adolescent athletes. In this qualitative study, 24 coaches from two different sport settings (12 basketball and 12 swimming) were questioned individually using semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that coaches reported learning how to teach life skills from various sources, which were classified into the three types of learning situations using the Trudel, Culver and Werthner model (2013). The most important learning situations identified by the coaches in this study were the moments taken to reflect on their past experiences as athletes and coaches (internal learning situations) and when they interacted with other coaches and specialists (unmediated learning situations). In light of these findings, practical recommendations for coaches and coaching programs are proposed.