Coaching Behavior in Youth Sports: Differences Between Gender, Age and Type of Sport

Abstract

The aim of the present research was to investigate coaching behaviors in youth sports. Further, the aim was to examine how those behaviors were perceived among athletes of different sports, genders and ages. The Coaching Behavior Questionnaire was used to measure two behaviors: Supportiveness/ Emotional Composure and Negative Activation. The questionnaire was distributed to 100 athletes (M=11.8, SD=1.38) who were members of basketball and swimming academies in Thessaloniki, Greece. Results did not show any significant difference in how Supportiveness/ Emotional Composure was perceived between athletes of different sports and
genders. Additionally, there was no significant difference in coaching behavior between athletes of different ages. However, the results showed that Supportiveness significantly dominates as coaching behavior in sports academies that were involved in this study. Finally, the research showed that Negative Activation of coaches is significantly more intense in team sports and among male athletes.