Dr Ian Cowburn

Connections to existing coaching frameworks are limited within sport parenting literature, despite the need to help coaches translate research findings into their practice. In this presentation, we outline how the coach decision making model (Abraham et al., 2010), as supplemented with literature about sport parenting can be adapted to offer a tool for coaches to reflect on current interactions and plan future engagement with parents in youth sport. We suggest that a focus on the who, what, and how of coach-parent relationships moves beyond generic advice for what coaches can do to “manage” parents (e.g., Smoll et al., 2011), towards possibilities for creating authentic, productive, and context-sensitive collaborative partnerships. Knowing who the parents are that coaches work with (e.g., their experiences, backgrounds, beliefs, expectations) can help coaches to develop an empathetic understanding of individual parents, from which mutual respect can be fostered. Considering what coaches would prefer their collaborations with parents to look like (e.g., level of trust, respect, openness) and achieve (e.g., maximise positive outcomes for children, establish shared goals, minimise conflict) emphasises promoting desired relational qualities, rather than seeking to manage parent behaviours. Planning how to optimise coach-parent collaborations (e.g., enhance communication, build trust), allows for practical strategies to be adapted to fit the coaching context. Coach-parent collaborations will be positioned in relation to coaches’ personal beliefs, experiences, and behaviours, and the social norms, values, and resources of the context to enable coaches to reflect upon how to facilitate partnerships with parents in their specific coaching roles.

Ethical issues are increasingly visible in sport coaching across a range of domains and contexts. When problems occur, the outcome is typically a demand for system and workforce change. Existing research exploring ethical coaching practice has tended to utilise French social theorists (e.g., Denison, 2007), and caring theory (e.g., Cronin & Armour, 2019), descriptively and normatively; and virtue ethics (e.g., Hardman & Jones, 2011) normatively. Existing research has also tended to explore ethical issues at either a macro or micro level, as well as bracketing the discussion of ethical coaching from effective coaching. This work will overview the early stages of the development of a multi-dimensional framework to explore the ethical dimensions of coaching practice drawing on several descriptive and normative theories or frames. These include psychological, sociological, and emerging interdisciplinary and practice-based theories (e.g., Haidt, 2012; Sayer, 2011). The work will also explicitly attempt to show the relationship between macro and micro-level concerns and reintegrate understandings of ethical coaching with effective coaching. The end game is the development of a conceptual frame that integrates ethics more centrally and explicitly into the embedded, relational, emergent (ERE) model (North, 2017). The presentation will also draw on data gathered through two long-term - 18 months to 2-years - ethnographic case studies in Podium Potential triathlon and Paralympic swimming, with coaches, athletes, and entourage. The case studies highlight that ethical issues are often a result of, and can be understood through the influences of, and interactions between, individual, interpersonal, institutional, and socio-cultural layers.

At the 13th ICCE Global Coach Conference North et al. (2021), through the Centre for Sport Coaching (CfSC), at Leeds Beckett University, introduced an emerging body of work on ethical coaching practice using a multi-dimensional framework. Two years on, the work has extended significantly in terms of the concepts utilised, the data collected, the number of practical engagements, and the number of staff, students, and partners, involved. Although social and cultural structures were always an important part of the initial multi-dimensional framework (North, 2017), we found it conceptually, practically, and presentationally valuable to extend the initial focus on practice (coaching practice, ethical practice) to a more explicit cultural rendering. Social and cultural structures provide the site, and media (‘the air we breathe’), for ideas about, and practical engagements in, effectiveness and ethicality. A socio-cultural rendering helps to correct – at least presentationally – any misconceptions that effectiveness and ethicality are problems just for individuals, or organisations, outside broader system structures. This presentation, the first of four CfSC presentations on culture and ethics, will explore/assimilate appreciatively and critically existing conceptual and data driven work, existing cultural and ethical tools to provide a platform for an emerging practically orientated framework to understand coaching and ethics.

Sports participation has been shown to lead to a number of health-related benefits for both children (e.g., Strong et al., 2005) and adults (e.g., Warburton, et al., 2006; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). Not only is sports involvement thought to have numerous health-related physical benefits, but a variety of social and emotional benefits as well. These include outcomes such as the formation of positive relationships and the acquisition of social interaction and teamwork skills, as well as enhanced confidence, character, prosocial values, and positive affect (Eime et al., 2013). However, while many contend that sports participation is associated with numerous benefits like those listed above, others have questioned the findings (e.g., Coakley, 2011) and/or identified detriments to participation that include increased stress, burnout, and a loss of motivation (e.g., Gustafsson et al., 2011; Raedeke et al., 2014). This article is designed to summarize the research on this topic, to draw conclusions about the social and psychological benefits of participation, and derive recommendations to guide practitioners working in the field.

The emergence of Player Development Coaches (PDC) in professional sports demonstrates recognition for the importance of fostering personal and professional development. Nonetheless, the processes by which PDCs facilitate such development are largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and responsibilities of current/former National Hockey League (NHL) PDCs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight experienced NHL PDCs (Mage = 50.5, SD = 9.7). The PDCs reported working closely with athletes to oversee their development, which involved frequent meetings and evaluation of performances. They also described the necessity of establishing trust and ensuring transparency with their athletes, providing support (e.g., emotional), and engaging in reflective practice. In using these sport specific, relational, and introspective competencies, player development coaches guide athletes towards various professional (e.g., physical, psychological performance) and personal developmental outcomes (e.g., character). The findings indicate that PDCs act similarly to mentors, whereby the pillars of trust and respect are central to their perceived ability to impact athlete’s personal and professional development. In conclusion, in order to expedite the ultimate performance goal of getting athletes into the NHL, PDCs work collaboratively to reinforce and develop a range of developmental assets that span from improvements in performance to personal growth.

A vast body of research focuses on the role of parents in athlete development; however, little is known about developmental influences of siblings. In general, family dynamics (i.e., patterns of relating or interacting among family members) have yet to be investigated in youth sport contexts. This study examines how family dynamics and the individual roles of parents and siblings influence the development of Canadian interuniversity student-athletes over time. Participants included four male and six female student-athletes. Each participant took part in a qualitative retrospective timeline interview. All data was subjected to a thematic analysis. Results indicate that siblings and parents play separate yet intricately connected roles in athlete development throughout childhood and adolescence. Overall, participants described a cohesive family unit built on shared values and joint participation in sport activities. They described stable and dynamic forms of support from their parents over time, and positive and negative sibling influences. These findings offer valuable insight into the dynamic nature of parent and sibling relationships with athletes in youth sport and beyond, as well as how these relationships operate in the broader family environment to optimize (and, at times, hinder) athletic development.

This is a valuable resource for students, researchers, practitioners, educators, and administrators that want to increase their knowledge of psychological aspects associated with the development and practice of coaching and management.

Research has indicated that adversity created in training environments can develop mental toughness in adolescent athletes (Bell, Hardy, & Beattie, 2013; Connaughton, Hanton, & Jones, 2010; Gucciardi, Gordon, & Dimmock, 2008). However, few studies (Bell et al., 2013) have explored this development prospectively. Employing a pragmatic, longitudinal, mixed methods design, this study assessed 70 adolescent wrestlers participating in an established intensive wrestling camp that systematically employed adversity. The Trait Sport Confidence Inventory, the State Hope Scale, and the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 were administered at the outset, conclusion, and nine-months-following the camp. A repeated measures MANOVA with post-hoc measures showed increases in seven variables, maintained at the nine-month follow-up, with the strongest partial effect sizes in hope (η = .242), sport confidence (η = .151), and coping with adversity (η = .142). Interviews with eight participants, conducted throughout the camp, one-week post-camp, and nine-months post-camp, yielded five high-order themes: enhanced confidence, work ethic, development of empowering attributes (e.g., responsibility, internal control), enhanced thought processes (e.g., self-awareness), and enhanced interpersonal skills. Results suggest that this highly-structured adverse training environment has the ability to develop a range of skills and dispositions related to mental toughness, and that some of these factors may transfer to other life contexts.

A mission statement defines a groups purpose, describes the beliefs in how a group should function, and indicates the unique values of a group (Collins & Porras, 1991; Levin, 2000). Few studies in sport have specifically investigated the influence of a mission statement, but several high-performance teams have cited mission statements as a key for improved team performance and functioning (Hodge, Henry, &Smith, 2014; Yukelson, 1997). Recently, it has become more common for consultants to provide overviews of team building interventions in sport (e.g., Dunn & Holt, 2004; Pain & Harwood, 2009). However, even with initial evidence that mission statements may be beneficial for team cohesion and performance, little has been written about the process of developing a mission statement in the sport realm. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to outline the authors’ experiences leading an activity to develop a season-long mission statement with a collegiate varsity gymnastics team. Additionally, an overview of how the consultants gained entry and developed trust with the coaching staff and team, as well as reflections on what went well in the process and what could be enhanced for the greatest impact will be discussed.

This case study examined the coaching philosophy of J Robinson, one of the most respected and successful NCAA wrestling coaches in the United States, and the founder of J Robison Intensive Wrestling Camps. Research has that shown that his camps foster short and long term psychological development in its youth participants (Driska et al., in press; Pierce, et al., 2016). He has established a well-delineated system for developing psychological skills in young athletes. The researchers were therefore interested in understanding the link between his coaching philosophy and coaching behavior, and in identifying factors that have influenced the development of this coaching philosophy over his lifetime. Using a case study approach, in-depth interviews at several points in time with Robinson were conducted. These were supplemented with interviews with camp staff and observations of the camp and Robinson’s coaching. Results revealed that Robinson had a clearly defined philosophy, was very intentional in developing mental skills, and had clearly thought out rationales that guided his coaching actions. The coaching philosophy and approach to developing psychological skills in youth evolved over 35 years of implementing these camps and from Robinson’s own life experiences. Implications for studying coach development and delivering coaching education are provided.

This study used a grounded theory methodology to understand if and how psychological development in youth athletes was facilitated by an ‘intensive’ summer wrestling camp experience. The theoretical sampling approach involved 10 athlete participants of the camp, nine parents of athletes, the director of the camp, and four camp staff members, who took part in a series of interviews before, during, and after the camp. Two researchers were also embedded in the camp and attended all sessions, took detailed notes, collected camp materials, and conducted observations. Following a grounded theory analysis approach, a model is presented that outlines how youth participants’ developed psychological qualities from the coach created hallenges and adversity that were systematically designed to facilitate sport performance enhancement and life skills. Variations emerged in psychological antecedents and characteristics, how the challenging wrestling camp environment was interpreted and experienced, and how learning was transferred to sport and life domains outside of the wrestling camp. This study provided insight into a unique youth sport context that was able to simultaneously develop psychological qualities to be used as sport performance enhancement and life skills.

The ethics and effectiveness of performance sport coaching has come under scrutiny in recent years with high-profile reviews of culture within medal winning Olympic sports, such as The Whyte Review in gymnastics. As part of policy responses, interventions involving the coaching workforce have been recognised but the majority of these could be perceived as actions to be done to coaches rather than mechanisms which are empathetic to the realities of performance coaches and support the avoidance of influences which may result in unethical, abusive practice emerging. There is a sense that the coach as a human within the system has been lost or forgotten. This study seeks to witness, give voice to, and represent the lived reality of performance coaches in artistic gymnastics, embracing the centrality of emotion within the social, relational process of coaching (Portrac et al., 2017; North, 2017). Arts-based approaches are increasingly promoted in the academy (Sparkes & Smith, 2014; Evans et al., 2021) recognising their power to precede the intellectual with more aesthetic ways of knowing (Leavy, 2019). Visual methods are a powerful and effective way to access, construct and convey the sensory, emotional, embodied aspects of everyday life (Sparkes & Smith, 2014; Rose, 2023; Pink, 2021) positively promoting critical reflection and potentially inspiring change in the audiences (Ward & Schortt, 2020). An ethnographic documentary photography methodology (Pink, 2021) has been used to produce researcher generated images that attempt to capture and evoke the affective qualities of the coach’s reality (Rose, 2023); moving beyond the descriptive to the interpretive (Pink, 2021; Rose, 2023). Although utilised within visual sociology for over sixty years (Harper, 2016), this methodology is atypical within sport coaching contexts, where visual methods have tended to be more aligned to photo-elicitation approaches (see Cope, Harvey & Kirk, 2015). An initial ‘sketchbook’ process combined narrative fieldwork descriptions and audio recorded conversations alongside the photographic images to facilitate construction and sense-making of narratives and connections (Pink, 2021; Sparkes & Smith, 2014). Coaches were invited to collaborate with the researcher to co-construct knowledge and insight of their everyday reality (Horsley, 2021) through a discussion of their interpretations of a selection of images (initially of their own, and subsequently of other coach’s, situated realities) (Pink 2021). This approach enabled a layered relational ethical approach to informed participant consent recognising the overt ethical challenges within visual methodologies (Pink, 2021). Study findings are presented as a gallery of photos outside of the oral presentation. In line with ‘The Letting Go Perspective’ in Sparkes & Smith (2014), the suggested criteria of Barone & Eisner (2012) are the proposed basis for critical judgement of the work. While we the researchers, feel the work meets this bar, it is the response, engagement and reflection of the viewers that is of relevance, and of interest to examine (Sparkes & Smith, 2014; Pink, 2021). To that end, we invite delegates to actively participate in a collaborative, critical dialogue, through direct written comments on the images themselves or via recorded discussion, of performance coaches lived realities. Barone, T., & Eisner, E. W. (2012) Arts Based Research. Los Angeles:SAGE Cope, E., Harvey, S., & Kirk, D. (2015). Reflections on using visual research methods in sports coaching. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 7(1), 88-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2013.877959 Evans, A. B., Barker-Ruchti, N., Blackwell, J., Clay, G., Dowling, F., Frydendal, S., Hybholt, M. G., Hausken-Sutter., S. E., Lenneis, V., Malcolm, D., Phoenix, C., Smith, B., Nielsen, C. S., Wilcock, L., Williamsc, O., & Winther, H. (2021). Qualitative research in sports studies: challenges, possibilities and the current state of play. European Journal for Sport and Society, 18(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2021.1899969 Harper, D. (2016). The Development of Visual Sociology: A view from the inside. SocietàMutamentoPolitica, 7(14), 237–250. https://doi.org/10.13128/SMP-19704 Horsley K. (2021). Slowing down: documentary photography in early childhood. International Journal of Early Years Education, 29(4), 438-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2020.1850430 Leavy, P. (2019) Introduction to arts-based research. In P. Leavy (Ed.), Handbook of Arts-Based Research (pp 3-21). New York: Guilford Press. North, J. (2017). Sport Coaching Research and Practice: Ontology, Interdisciplinarity and Critical Realism. London:Routledge. Pink, S. (2021). Doing Visual Ethnography. (4th ed.) London:SAGE Publications Ltd. Potrac, P., Smith, A., & Nelson, L. (2017). Emotions in sport coaching: an introductory essay. Sports Coaching Review, 6(2), 129-141. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2017.1375187 Rose G. (2023). Visual methodologies: an introduction to researching with visual materials. (5th ed.) London; Thousand Oaks, CA:SAGE Publications Ltd. Sparkes, A. C., & Smith, B. (2014). Qualitative research methods in sport, exercise and health: From process to product. New York:Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. Ward, J., & Shortt, H. (2020). Using arts-based methods of research: A critical introduction to the development of arts-based research. In J. Ward & H. Shortt (Eds.), Using Arts-Based Research Methods: Creative Approaches for Researching Business, Organisation and Humanities (pp. 1–13) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

The purpose of this practice paper is to share our experiences of, and reflections on, facilitating an international virtual exchange for pre-professional sport coaches, in a higher education context. Between January and May 2024, for 12 weeks, 21 coaches from both Leeds Beckett University (UK) and James Madison (USA) participated in a pilot project to supplement an internship experience which they were engaged in as part of their coursework. Using Flip, a video-based discussion app from Microsoft, coaches were encouraged to share and explore their problems of professional practice with others as they emerged. By doing this, we hoped that coaches would contribute to each-others’ framing and developing understanding of authentic and meaningful coaching issues, begin to form networks of support, become increasingly independent learners, and develop a more global outlook. From our position as internship architects and facilitators, we hypothesised that with a greater appreciation of coaches’ issues and interests we could more meaningfully offer timely and bespoke support. As we reflect on this novel project, we deliberate over the practical value of some of the underpinning ideas, limitations to supporting pre-professional coaches in this way, and future directions.

Dr. Ian Cowburn and Dr. Liam McCarthy dive into why embracing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in Coach Education can positively support a student coaches learning journey.

While athleticism is recognised as a guiding principle for youth development, practitioners’ perceptions of athleticism are variable and unidimensional. Therefore, this study aimed to explore academic and practitioner perceptions around the concept of athleticism, including its importance and measurement. A multi-method survey was completed by 167 academics and practitioners (sport coaches and strength and conditioning coaches). The survey consisted of six sections: (1) participant demographics; (2) role specific demographics; (3) knowledge of athleticism; (4) importance of athleticism; (5) perceptions of the current definition of athleticism; and (6) measuring athleticism. Fixed response quantitative data were analysed in SPSS and qualitative data were analysed using template analysis. Athleticism was described as a multi-dimensional (i.e., physical and psychological), dynamic (i.e., product and a process that interacts with the environment), and adaptable (i.e., individual, environment and sporting context specific) concept. Developing athleticism was deemed important for both participation and performance environments for: 1) mental and physical health and wellbeing, 2) engagement in physical activity and sport, 3) enhancing physical and psychosocial characteristics, 4) reducing injury risk, and 5) for successful sporting performance. However, numerous theoretical and practical challenges were identified for measuring athleticism. It is imperative that academics and practitioners working with youth are cognizant of the athleticism descriptors (i.e., multi-dimensional, dynamic and adaptable) when researching and developing youth athleticism.

Despite a robust body of evidence supporting both the need for and the effectiveness of physical fitness interventions in children aged 5–11, global fitness levels in this age group continue to decline. This systematic scoping review interrogates a critical, often overlooked dimension of this paradox: the pedagogy of fitness intervention design and delivery. By analysing 106 primary research studies, the review exposes a consistent pattern. Interventions are predominantly highly structured (89%), rarely foster a mastery-oriented motivational climate (only 11%), and fail to report practitioner behaviours (65%). While most interventions yielded positive fitness outcomes, these gains were achieved without the use of pedagogical strategies known to support engagement, autonomy, and long-term adherence in children. This suggests that current approaches may achieve short-term physiological improvements but are limited in cultivating the motivational and developmental conditions necessary for sustained impact. The findings underscore a pressing need for future research to move beyond the "what" of fitness programming and rigorously address the "how." Embedding and explicitly reporting pedagogical elements—such as supportive practitioner behaviours, autonomy-supportive structures, and mastery climates—could transform fitness interventions into developmentally appropriate, engaging, and sustainable experiences for children. Without this shift, we risk perpetuating interventions that are effective in the lab but ineffective in life.

Despite the increasing volume and variety of published academic literature which takes a position on the quality and efficacy of learning opportunities for sport coaches, we suggest that there is a scarcity of coach voices. Therefore, in this chapter, Alice offers a first-person perspective on her lived experience as a learner participating in a coach development programme for full-time academy football coaches in England. Of particular interest in this story, is the way in which Alice engaged with and succeeded through – what we consider to be – a novel and unique learning opportunity. Exploring the potential within a project-led approach to learning and assessment, which affords coaches the chance to identify and examine their current most meaningful and important issues, Alice articulates how, why, and with whom she developed a body of work that has had profound professional/practical and personal impact. The chapter concludes with a discussion about Alice’s unique contribution to better understanding and supporting parents as an essential collaborator in an academy football environment, where all of her project work was anchored. Finally, we summarise with several key messages: 1) allowing coaches and their context to speak for themselves is essential in better understanding increasingly sophisticated development programmes, 2) there is value in organising development programmes in such a way that they lead with the coaches interests and issues, not with content and pre-defined curricula, 3) when we do this we create opportunities for both personal and professional shifts, and 4) practical knowledge and ‘engaged scholarship’ like this is important and could feature more frequently in the published literature.

Purpose: Sports scholarship programmes are a common feature internationally for schools to attract and retain sporting student-athletes. Thus, it is important to understand how a sports scholarship programme supports holistic athlete development. The current study presents student-athlete perspectives of the talent development environment (TDE) and the development of dual career (DC) competencies in a sports school scholarship programme and examines the relationships between TDE and DC competencies. Methods: A case-study design was adopted to analyse student-athlete perspectives of a sports scholarship programme using the talent development environment questionnaire (TDEQ-5) and dual career competency questionnaire (DCCQ-A). Results: The TDE was perceived positively (1 = strongly disagree and 6 = strongly agree), with long-term development (5.0 ± 0.3) and alignment of expectations (4.6 ± 0.5) the highest subscales. Support network (4.3 ± 0.4) was the lowest perceived subscale. All DC competencies were considered important by student-athletes. However, student-athletes had a significantly lower perceived possession than importance in 88% of DC competencies. Emotional awareness was the subscale that required the most development. Significant relationships were found between the TDE and DC competencies, including long-term development vs. DC management (r = 0.41) and emotional awareness (r = 0.32), alignment of expectations vs. DC management (r = 0.39), communication vs. emotional awareness (r = 0.36), holistic quality preparation vs. DC management (r = 0.48) and support network vs. DC management (r = 0.38). Conclusion: Student-athletes perceived the TDE positively yet felt the sports scholarship programme could develop their DC competencies further. Perceptions of the TDE relate to DC competencies, especially DC management. Organisations offering sports scholarships should ensure stakeholders recognise the demands of a DC by monitoring the value of such programmes.

Sports scholarship programmes are used internationally within academic and sporting organisations to attract and develop athletes. Resources such as a fee remission, no cost to training, facilities or accommodation are incentives offered to separate organisations from competitors and attract exceptional candidates. However, despite their global application, very little research explores the effectiveness of these programmes. This professional doctorate project (re)designs a U.K. sports school sports scholarship programme considering principles of ‘talent’, the talent development environment (TDE), dual career (DC) competency development, allocation of resources, holistic development and talent identification (TI) procedures. The project then evaluates this programme and provides reflections in my professional role.The project is grounded in a constructivist approach utilising action research to generate knowledge from personal driven and theory driven data to prescribe pragmatic solutions. Iterative cycles allow for broad theories to be examined, designed, acted and evaluated. Key stakeholder perspectives from both student-athletes, sports coaches and teachers informed the (re)design process. Firstly, staff perspectives were collated to evaluate an established (>12 years) sports scholarship programme alongside student-athlete’s perceptions of the TDE and their possession of important DC competencies. Findings, led to investigating head of sports (HoS) perception of talent through a focus group with thematic analysis identifying staff could not agree on a definition of talent. Subsequently, the term, ‘talent’, was removed from the definition of selecting sports scholars with coaches identifying desirable behaviours and capabilities instead. Alongside, sports coaches completed a questionnaire on the strategy and vision of a sports scholarship programme. Three key purposes of a sports scholarship programme were identified through thematic analysis, including 1) to deliver a holistic development opportunity, 2) to be a marketing strategy and, 3) to recognise student achievements.A financial redesign of the sports scholarship programme was undertaken with two primary aims, 1) to save the school money and 2) ensure student-athlete development was a key factor in strategic and policy decision-making. A remodel was successful in reducing the sports scholarship budget to the school whilst also creating three strands of funding support to student-athletes. Furthermore, it created a fourth strand that allocated a specific budget for the sports scholarship programme to invest in a holistic athlete development programme.The findings from coaches' interpretation of talent initiated the development of a new TI and selection tool spanning multiple sports, and athlete skills and characteristics. The design incorporated both subjective and objective measures and was co-created with coaches to ensure staff confidence in its application. There was an improved robustness in the new application process which included observations and assessments on the athlete’s history, behavioural expectations with the tool providing a total athletic score comprised of technical, tactical, physical and psychosocial qualities. The tool was used successfully as a supportive instrument alongside coaches’ opinion to help minimise subjective biases and make the conversation around student-athlete and sport scholarship selection easier.In summary, the outcomes of the sports scholarship (re)design process have been perceived favourably by colleagues within the school. The iterative cycles of action research have ensured each key domain are continually evaluated and improved. The TDE remains a perceived strength by student-athletes, on the other hand student-athletes perceive DC competency possession as an area of continued development. Coaches share positivity to the new sports scholarship programme (e.g., coherent structure and process) and highlight areas of further development (e.g., marketing for attraction and recruitment). Finally, the new sports scholarship programme received a significant strength from the independent school inspectors which is an extremely rare occurrence. The thesis concludes with five key guiding principles that had supported the research and acknowledges its limitations. In the final chapter I share my personal and professional development from this professional doctorate journey.

The research article summaries in the Digest are intended to direct International Sport Coaching Journal (ISCJ) readers toward research, authors, and organizations that may be of interest given the mission of the journal. The Digest summaries are carefully sourced, pertinent, recent coaching, and coach education/development articles from a range of sport-related journals, which may be of interest to coaches and scholars who read the ISCJ. It has been a feature of the ISCJ from the very first issue, and while the sources and focus of the Digest have evolved over the last 10 years, the mission to broaden awareness of coaching scholarship has remained. In this short editorial, we will provide an overview of the Digest across the last decade in line with a trend in recent years of examining historical coaching scholarship within the ISCJ (Hirsch et al., 2023) and across the field of sport coaching (Campbell et al., 2023). In doing so, we will highlight the contribution of the Digest to the ISCJ, consider the implications of the sources/topics included over the 10 years, and provide a call to action for the Digest moving forward.

Motor competency is integral to the long-term athletic development of youths. Strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches are recommended to deliver motor competency interventions, yet there are no studies investigating their perceptions and practices for developing motor competency in youths. Seventy-one S&C coaches (n=67 male; n=4 female) completed an initial and follow up questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale, rating 1] the importance of developing competence, and 2] how frequently they developed competence across 90 motor competencies. Over 55% of S&C coaches reported a broad range of “important” (69/90) and ”frequently developed” (48/90) motor competencies. The most important motor competency was “deceleration” (4.9±0.3), whilst “hip hinge (bilateral)” was the most practised (4.4±0.5). Upper body pushing and pulling competencies were targeted more than S&C coaches perceived their importance, whilst agility (e.g., turning) competencies were targeted less than their importance. Linear mixed model analysis showed S&C coaches who delivered 3-4 sessions per week targeted 15-18% more motor competencies compared to ≤ 2 sessions per week. Overall, these findings have strong implications for developing motor competency within youths including the reflection of importance vs. practised competencies, coach education programmes, and consideration for how S&C coaches should seek to optimise motor competency development within youths.

The dataset represents questionnaire responses evaluating UK-based Strength and Conditioning coaches and Physical education teachers perceptions of motor competence importance. The data was collected in April 2021. 

Physical education (PE) teachers and strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches are well placed to develop motor competence within youth populations. However, both groups’ perceptions of important motor competencies are relatively unknown, especially when considering stage of maturity. Therefore, this study aimed to 1) present PE teachers and S&C coaches’ perceptions of motor competence importance according to stage of maturity; 2) compare perceptions of motor competence between stages of maturity, and between PE teachers and S&C coaches; and 3) explore factors that influence PE teachers and S&C coaches’ perceptions of motor competence importance. Via a mixed-method questionnaire, 47 PE teachers (professional experience=10.3±6.6 years) and 48 S&C coaches (professional experience=8.6±4.8 years) rated the importance of developing 21 motor competencies across four stages of maturity (childhood, pre-peak height velocity [PHV], circa-PHV, and post-PHV) using a Likert-scale (1=not important, 5=very important). Participants also provided open-ended explanations for their perceptions. Frequency analysis indicated that participants rated a broad range of competencies important, with S&C coaches rating more competencies important than PE teachers across all stages of maturity. Mixed-model analysis highlighted several differences in motor competence importance when comparing perceptions between participant groups, and between stages of maturity for PE teachers and S&C coaches. For example, S&C coaches rated strength-based motor competencies less important during childhood (d=-1.83 to -0.43), while PE teachers rated them less important during childhood (d=-2.22 to -0.42) and pre-PHV (d=-1.70 to -0.51) compared to other stages of maturity. Codebook thematic analysis showed several factors that influenced participant’s perceptions of motor competence importance (e.g., participants understanding of themselves). The findings suggest that multiple environments may be required to adequately facilitate motor competence development amongst youth. Coach education should target misunderstandings around the risks of strength-based activity during early stages of maturity and the benefits of developing strength-based motor competencies across youth populations.

Background Sport schools are popular environments for simultaneously delivering education and sport to young people. Previous research suggests sport school involvement to have impact (i.e. the positive/negative, intended/unintended and long/short-term outcomes, results and effects) on student athlete’s holistic (i.e. academic, athletic, psychosocial and psychological) development. However, previous research is limited by (1) cross-sectional methods, (2) limited multidimensional assessments, (3) lack of consideration for athlete characteristics (e.g. sex) and (4) failure to evaluate how sport school features affect student-athlete impacts. Objectives The study, using a mixed methods case study approach, aims to (1) longitudinally evaluate the impact of sport school involvement on the holistic development of student athletes, (2) evaluate the impact on holistic development by student-athlete characteristics and (3) explore the features and processes of the sport–school programme that drive/facilitate holistic impacts. Methods A longitudinal mixed methods design was employed across one full academic school year (33 weeks). Six data-collection methods (i.e. online questionnaire, physical fitness testing battery, academic assessment grades, log diaries, field notes/observation and timeline diagram/illustration) were used to assess the academic, athletic, psychosocial and psychological impacts for 72 student athletes from one sport school in the United Kingdom (UK). Results Student athletes developed positive long-term holistic overall impacts (i.e. academically, athletically and personally), including maintaining stable and relatively high levels of sport confidence, academic motivation, general recovery, life skills, resilience and friends, family and free time scores. Despite positive impacts, juggling academic and sport workload posed challenges for student athletes, having the potential to lead to negative holistic impacts (e.g. fatigue, stress and injury). Positive and negative impacts were linked to many potential features and processes of the sport school (e.g. academic and athletic support services versus insufficient training load build-up, communication, coordination, flexibility and planning). Furthermore, when considering student-athlete characteristics, females had lower sport confidence, higher general stress and body image concerns and less general recovery than males and student athletes who played sport outside the school had lower general recovery. Conclusions This mixed method, longitudinal study demonstrated sport school involvement resulted in many positive academic (e.g. good grades), athletic (e.g. fitness development), psychosocial (e.g. enhanced confidence) and psychological (e.g. improved resilience) impacts attributed to the academic and athletic support services provided. However, juggling heavy academic and athletic workloads posed challenges leading to negative impacts including fatigue, pressure, stress and injury. Furthermore, holistic impacts may be sex dependent and further support may be required for female student athletes in sport school environments. Overall, these findings demonstrate the complex nature of combining education and sport commitments and how sport schools should manage, monitor and evaluate the features of their programme to maximise the holistic impacts of sport–school student athletes.

Sex, chronological age, and maturity potentially impact multidimensional health-related characteristics (i.e. motor competence, physical fitness, psychosocial, physical activity), which adds to the challenges of reversing current youth health-related concerns. Previous research fails to optimally assess such characteristics and consider sex, age, and maturity among youth. Therefore, the aims were to 1) present the multidimensional health-related characteristics of 9–14-year-olds from the UK, 2) examine sex differences, and 3) account for the effect of age and maturity on such characteristics. Eighty-one girls (mean age = 12.8 ± 1.2 years) and 136 boys (mean age = 13.1 ± 1.2 years) were purposively sampled and assessed across each of the four health-related domains. Multiple ANCOVA analyses examined sex differences among characteristics while accounting for chronological age. Pearson’s correlations were used to evaluate the associations between maturity and multidimensional health-related characteristics. Multidimensional health-related characteristics were lower than similar populations and highly variable. Boys outperformed girls on most physical measures (ES = −0.76 to 0.76), elicited greater self-determined motivation (ES = 0.36), greater perceived competence (ES = 0.54), and engaged in more vigorous physical activity (ES = 0.78). Small age effects were present across some characteristics (e.g. isometric mid-thigh pull). Associations between maturity and multidimensional health-related characteristics were different for boys and girls (e.g. maturity offset positively associated with motor competence scores in girls only). Results suggest that multidimensional health-related characteristics of 9- to 14-year-olds are a concern, and are impacted by sex, age, and maturity. Identifying methods to improve multidimensional health-related characteristics which considers sex, age, and maturity are required. Assessing multidimensional health-related characteristics across youth is recommended to inform and measure interventions.

The possession of certain psychosocial characteristics can offer performance advantages in a range of domains. However, integrating a programme to support the development of psychosocial characteristics is a lengthy process and involves context specific knowledge and effective working relationships with stakeholders. The aim of this article is to present a reallife example of the design, delivery, and implementation of a theoretically informed psychosocial development programme for players within an academy soccer setting to include player workshops, coach delivery and ways to influence the environment. This multifaceted approach included formal and informal meetings, observations, coach education and social media groups. Initial reflections suggested workshops are an effective method to ‘teach’ some of the aspects within the programme. Integrating coaches throughout design and implementation is recommended. Key stakeholders should consider investing time in education for coaches to develop strategies to foster psychosocial development in their players. Limitations and future recommendations are discussed.

This chapter explores the implementation and review of an assessment for learning (AfL) strategy in an undergraduate sport coaching degree, in the UK. After introducing the context of the degree – the framework around which it is built and the AfL strategy we developed – the chapter focusses on the implementation of the strategy in a Level 6 (final year) module. We explain the main theoretical ideas informing our approach and our expectations about the intended outcomes for student learning. Taking a practitioner research approach, we then review the AfL ‘experiment’, drawing on staff diaries and staff and student focus groups to reflect both on the successes of the approach and the difficulties we encountered across the year. We found that the AfL experiment worked well with students who attended, engaged, and had good existing self-regulatory skills and capacities. We also experienced several challenges with the wider body of learners who struggled with the consistent demand to produce and review work and with the social dynamics of peer feedback processes. We conclude with some ideas for the ongoing development and refinement of our AfL strategy in the hope that others may learn from our errors.

In order to understand the features of sport schools and their impacts on the holistic development of student-athletes, it is important to take into account the voice of multiple stakeholders central to the programmes (student-athletes, coaches, teachers). Through a case-study approach, using five focus groups, with 19 student-athletes, and six semi-structured interviews with three coaches and three dual coach and teachers, this study explored the perceived impacts of one sport-friendly school (pseudonym-"Salkeld High") on holistic athlete development and the features that drove these impacts. Using a critical realist approach to thematic analysis, findings indicated a multitude of immediate, intermediate and long-term positive and negative impacts associated with academic/vocational (e.g., academic security vs. second/third choice university), athletic/physical (e.g., performance development vs. injuries), psychosocial (e.g., social skills vs. social scarifies) and psychological (e.g., sport confidence vs. performance pressure) development of "Salkeld High" student-athletes. Overall, "Salkeld High" was viewed as an integrated school environment for sport, academics, and boarding, where academic (e.g., extra-tutoring), athletic (e.g., high volume/frequency of training), and psychosocial/psychological (e.g., pastoral services) features are all in one location. The student-athletes tended to get a well-rounded, balanced holistic experience. However, the intensified and challenging nature of involvement did present some negative impacts that stakeholders should be aware of when designing, implementing, and evaluating sport-friendly school programmes. Furthermore, although "Salkeld High" was seen as an integrated environment within the school, it could do better at collaborating with wider sporting structures.

Assessing the holistic impact of student-athletes within sport schools is important due to the increasing popularity of sport school programmes, the likelihood that most youth athletes do not ultimately succeed in their sport and the multiple and wide ranging positive and negative impacts associated with intensified youth sport. Therefore, this study, using a mixed method design, aimed to evaluate the ‘in-time’ holistic impacts and experiences of being a sport school student-athlete. Five data collection methods (i.e., online questionnaire, physical fitness testing battery, academic assessments grades, injury data and log diaries) were used to assess athletic, academic, psychological and psychosocial holistic impacts and experiences of 83 student-athletes from one sport school in the United Kingdom (UK). Due to the mixed method approach, a triangulation design was used whereby quantitative and qualitative data were firstly analysed separately and then integrated and presented together. Overall, the findings demonstrated there were a multitude of positive impacts and experiences associated with being a sport school student-athlete. These included: high average academic attainment, satisfaction with academic support, sport competence, all-round sport development, higher general and sport specific recovery than stress, inter- and intra-personal development, social support, positive peer and parent relationships and dual career motivation. However, impacts and experiences of concern were also apparent including: participation in sport external to the school context, difficulty balancing education and sport, academic lessons missed, injury, fatigue, lack of free time, extra-curricular and social sacrifice, social intensity and body image concerns. Large inter-individual variability was demonstrated across all data analyses highlighting the variable nature of the impacts and experiences of being a sports school student-athlete. Overall, sport schools have the potential to promote many positive holistic impacts, however stakeholders need to be aware, monitor and mitigate the potential negative impacts. Flexible development programmes, individualised support and student-athlete monitoring are essential features required of sport schools to ensure healthy and holistic development for all sport school student-athletes.

Background To understand the multiple and wide-ranging impacts of intensified youth sport, the need for a holistic approach to athlete development has recently been advocated. Sports schools are an increasingly popular operationalisation of intensified youth sport, aiming to offer an optimal environment for holistic development by combining sport and education. Yet, no study has systematically explored the impacts associated with sports schools. Objectives The aims of this mixed method systematic review were to (1) determine the characteristics and features of sports schools; (2) identify the methods used to evaluate sports school impacts, and (3) evaluate the positive and negative holistic athlete development impacts associated with sports school programme involvement. Methods Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, eight electronic databases were searched until the final return in February 2021. Forty-six articles satisfied the inclusion criteria, were analysed thematically, and synthesised using a narrative approach. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results Findings indicated (1) sports school student-athletes receive considerable support in terms of academic and athletic services, more intensified training and competition schedules with high-level training partners, but regularly miss school; (2) multiple methods have been used to evaluate student-athlete impacts, making comparison across studies and developing consensus on the impacts of sports schools difficult; and (3) there are a multitude of immediate, short- and long-term positive and negative impacts associated with the academic/vocational, athletic/physical, psychosocial and psychological development of sports school student-athletes. Conclusions This study is the first to systematically review the research literature to understand the impacts associated with sports schools in terms of holistic athlete development. Practitioners should be aware that they can promote (positive) and negate (negative) health impacts through the design of an appropriate learning environment that simultaneously balances multiple training, academic, psychosocial and psychological factors that can be challenging for youth athletes. We recommend that practitioners aim to design and implement monitoring and evaluation tools that assess the holistic development of student-athletes within their sports schools to ensure they are promoting all-round and healthy youth athlete development.

Maturation is the process by which we change and develop throughout life. As children grow older, they do not only mature physically and physiologically but also psycho-socially. Over time their abilities to remember, retrieve and process information as well as to reason and problem solve develop. These changes in cognitive development go hand in hand with being able to recognise their own abilities and attributes, shaping an increasingly complex sense of self. Furthermore, children grow to recognise, and understand their own and others’ emotions and perspectives, allowing for increasing cooperation but also introducing challenges in terms of social interaction. Over time children face the challenge of establishing independence, a coherent identity and a sense of direction for the future. Knowing how children typically develop in these areas will allow coaches to better plan developmentally appropriate sessions, understand their participants’ changing behaviour, as well as cater for the various developmental challenges children face as they mature.

ICOACHKIDS+ is an Erasmus+ Sport co-funded project part of the overall activities of the ICOACHKIDS Global Movement. It aims to enhance sport participation and reduce dropout for children aged 13-18, and to maximise sport’s health enhancing properties. This report presents the findings of two unique studies conducted as part of ICOACHKIDS+ examining TDEs in Europe. In the first one, over 1,400 athletes, parents and coaches across five countries and twenty-seven sports responded to the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (TDEQ-5, Li et al., 2015). This study, the largest study of TDEs to date, examined the perceived quality of these environments by the different stakeholders. The second study explored good holistic development practice in six exemplary TDEs. Twenty-three interviews with managers, directors, coaches and multi-disciplinary support staff were carried out. These clubs and programmes were nationally and internationally recognised TDES with a proven track record of applying a holistic development approach to talent development. The data from these studies have been used to inform the creation of guidelines for the development of holistic talent development environments. Through the findings of the two studies, we are able to offer a novel definition of Holistic Development in TDEs, and identify 5 key tenets of good practice, and the 10 guidelines that bring them to life.

Our two new courses are all about supporting teenagers make the most of their sport participation, be it at the grassroots or performance level. In MOOC 4, “Maximising Sport Participation and Engagement in Youth Sport”, we look at the youth sport dropout phenomenon and explore what we can do to help young people stay in sport for life. In MOOC 5, “Developing Effective Talent Development Environments”. we explore what “talent” is and what effective and holistic talent development environments look like.

Background Motor competence is an integral component of the health and performance of youth. Numerous studies support the hypothesis that motor competence interacts with perceived motor competence and physical fitness during childhood to induce positive (e.g. healthy weight status) or negative (e.g. reduced physical activity engagement) trajectories. Yet, while adolescence is a key period of rapid growth and maturation, no systematic reviews and meta-analyses have examined the association between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics solely within adolescents. Objectives This study aimed to (1) analyse the scientific literature evaluating associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and/or psychosocial characteristics amongst adolescents; (2) evaluate the associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness characteristics and/or psychosocial characteristics amongst adolescents; and (3) investigate the impact of moderator variables (i.e., age, sex, type of motor competence assessment) on the associations. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted, followed by a qualitative synthesis of study methods. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to establish the magnitude and orientation of pooled correlation coefficients between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics of adolescents, whilst considering potential moderators (i.e., age, sex, type of motor competence assessment). Results Sixty-one studies were included, totalling 22,256 adolescents. Twenty-seven different assessments of motor competence were used, with 31 studies utilising product-orientated (i.e. outcome) motor competence assessments. Meta-analyses of 43 studies showed that motor competence was positively associated with physical activity (r = 0.20 to 0.26), some physical fitness characteristics (e.g. muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance; r = 0.03 to 0.60) and psychosocial characteristics (r = 0.07 to 0.34), and inversely associated with weight status (r =  − 0.36 to − 0.10), speed (r =  − 0.31) and agility (r =  − 0.37 to 0.41). Associations with flexibility were unclear. Conclusions The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis support the hypothesised interactions of motor competence with physical activity (positive), physical fitness (positive except for weight status, speed and agility) and psychosocial characteristics (positive) in adolescence. However, methodological approaches vary considerably (e.g. variety of motor competence assessments utilised), with limitations of the current literature including an inadequate assessment of motor competence, a lack of longitudinal observations and a failure to account for biological maturation. Future research assessing associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics of adolescents should include longitudinal observations of a combined motor competence assessment (i.e. process and product) and account for biological maturation. Improved evaluation using these recommendations could provide more accurate data, leading to more targeted interventions to improve adolescents’ physical and psychosocial outcomes.

This study aimed to assess the impact of a psychosocial development program on academy soccer players with coaches being central design and delivery. The 8 Pillars program (designed to foster Communication, Control, Commitment, Confidence, Concentration, Resilience, Presence, and Self-awareness) was delivered through player workshops, coaching practice, and coach-led environmental manipulation. A total of 25 academy soccer players (Mage 14.7 ± 0.3) completed the Psychological Characteristics of Development Excellence Questionnaire-2 pre- and postseason, and a self-report scale for each of the eight prescribed psychosocial skills and characteristics at five time points across the season. Significant (p < .05) improvement between pre- and postseason for “Imagery and Active Preparation,” “Seeking and Using Social Support,” and “Active Coping” factors within the Psychological Characteristics of Development Excellence Questionnaire-2 were evident. Significant (p < .05) improvements were shown for “Communication,” “Control,” “Commitment,” “Concentration,” and “Resilience” scales across the season. These findings give initial efficacy that a targeted, multifaceted program, largely delivered by coaches, can improve player self-reported psychosocial skills and characteristics in a U.K. academy soccer setting.

The possession and development of psychosocial characteristics can be advantageous for young athletes (Gledhill, et al., 2017). The aim of this study was to evaluate a programme (the 8 Pillars) designed to develop prescribed psychosocial components in English male academy soccer players. The 8 Pillars programme (including Communication, Control, Commitment, Concentration, Confidence, Resilience, Presence, and Self-awareness; Till et al., 2020) is a theoretically, empirically, and practically driven programme to support the development of psychosocial components in youth sport participants. The programme delivery included player workshops, coach development activities and coach observation across a season. To assess programme efficacy, 25 male academy players (Mage 14.7 + 1.34) completed the Psychological characteristics of Development Excellence Questionnaire-2 (PCDE-2, Hill et al., 2019) pre- and post-season. Players also completed the 8 Pillars self-report form at 5 time points across the season. Paired samples t-tests reported significant increases for 3 of the PCDE-2 subscales, namely ‘Imagery and Active Preparation’ (3.42 + 0.87 vs 4.10 + 1.02, p<0.001), ‘Seeking and using Social Support’ (4.20 + 0.79 vs 4.87 + 0.76, p<0.01) and ‘Active Coping’ (4.21 + 0.78 vs 4.85 + 0.66, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) reported significant increases over time all pillars apart from Presence. The findings demonstrate that the 8 Pillars programme may support development of psychosocial characteristics in academy soccer players over a season. Any programme seeking to develop psychosocial components should consider integration of psychosocial components into the practical coaching programme, through additional development, planning and evaluation activity to optimise impact.

Background Motor competence is an integral component of the health and performance of youth. Numerous studies support the hypothesis that motor competence interacts with perceived motor competence and physical fitness during childhood to induce positive (e.g. healthy weight status) or negative (e.g. reduced physical activity engagement) trajectories. Yet, while adolescence is a key period of rapid growth and maturation, no systematic reviews and meta-analyses have examined the association between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics solely within adolescents. Objectives This study aimed to (1) analyse the scientific literature evaluating associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and/or psychosocial characteristics amongst adolescents; (2) evaluate the associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness characteristics and/or psychosocial characteristics amongst adolescents; and (3) investigate the impact of moderator variables (i.e., age, sex, type of motor competence assessment) on the associations. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted, followed by a qualitative synthesis of study methods. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to establish the magnitude and orientation of pooled correlation coefficients between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics of adolescents, whilst considering potential moderators (i.e., age, sex, type of motor competence assessment). Results Sixty-one studies were included, totalling 22,256 adolescents. Twenty-seven different assessments of motor competence were used, with 31 studies utilising product-orientated (i.e. outcome) motor competence assessments. Meta-analyses of 43 studies showed that motor competence was positively associated with physical activity (r = 0.20 to 0.26), some physical fitness characteristics (e.g. muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance; r = 0.03 to 0.60) and psychosocial characteristics (r = 0.07 to 0.34), and inversely associated with weight status (r =  − 0.36 to − 0.10), speed (r =  − 0.31) and agility (r =  − 0.37 to 0.41). Associations with flexibility were unclear. Conclusions The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis support the hypothesised interactions of motor competence with physical activity (positive), physical fitness (positive except for weight status, speed and agility) and psychosocial characteristics (positive) in adolescence. However, methodological approaches vary considerably (e.g. variety of motor competence assessments utilised), with limitations of the current literature including an inadequate assessment of motor competence, a lack of longitudinal observations and a failure to account for biological maturation. Future research assessing associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics of adolescents should include longitudinal observations of a combined motor competence assessment (i.e. process and product) and account for biological maturation. Improved evaluation using these recommendations could provide more accurate data, leading to more targeted interventions to improve adolescents’ physical and psychosocial outcomes.

A global decline in levels of movement competency and athleticism in children presents the urgent need to look at how to reverse this trend. Long term athletic development modelling proposes the habitual development of athleticism as a way to address this decline. Movement-based interventions have also been created in an attempt to improve children’s movement competence. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of a co-produced movement and athleticism programme (Move to Sport [M2S]). M2S was used with seven participating PE teachers during secondary PE lessons over a 6-week period. Qualitative data were captured through mid-intervention interviews and a post-intervention focus group. Feasibility was measured using four dimensions of a feasibility framework; implementation, practicality, adaptation and integration. Findings suggest that M2S could be implemented within the structure of a typical PE lesson. Teachers reported that M2S supported the development of sport specific skills that linked well with other activities and sports in their curriculum and promoted inclusion. Teachers felt that M2S could be integrated as an assessment tool or targeted intervention for children of all abilities. The findings suggest that M2S could be a potential solution in addressing declining movement competence and athleticism in young people.

Our two new courses are all about supporting teenagers make the most of their sport participation, be it at the grassroots or performance level. In MOOC 4, “Maximising Sport Participation and Engagement in Youth Sport”, we look at the youth sport dropout phenomenon and explore what we can do to help young people stay in sport for life. In MOOC 5, “Developing Effective Talent Development Environments”. we explore what “talent” is and what effective and holistic talent development environments look like.

Given the importance of the environment in athlete development, recent years have seen an increase in research examining Talent Development Environments (TDEs). However, most research is limited to a single nation and the athletes’ perspective with little consideration of the views of parents or coaches. This study addresses these limitations by examining adolescent (13–18 years) athletes’ (n=202), parents’ (n=178) and coaches’ (n=59) perceptions of TDEs from five European nations. Athletes completed the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 (TDEQ-5) (Li et al., 2015), with parents and coaches completing an adapted TDEQ-5. Items and subscales were analysed across athlete, coach, and parent groups. Parents (4.14±1.51) had less-positive perceptions of their associated TDE across all items, compared with athletes (4.42±1.45; p<0.05) and coaches (4.60±1.28; p<0.05). Across groups, Long-term Development (4.79±0.90) was the most positively perceived TDEQ-5 subscale. Support Network (4.02±1.23) and Alignment of Expectations (4.05±1.11) were the least positively perceived TDEQ-5 subscales. Furthermore, Holistic Quality Preparation (4.30±1.07) and Communication (4.47±1.12) scores for athletes and coaches were significantly higher (p<0.001) than parents. As parental perspectives of TDEs are consistently less positive than those of athletes and coaches, future research should explore reasons behind these differences and how they can inform developments considering the broader aims of TDEs. Moreover, recognising the performance and health implications associated with Support Network, Communication and Holistic Quality Preparation, together with the varying perceptions of these across the groups, offers opportunities for further investigation to develop European TDEs.

Our two new courses are all about supporting teenagers make the most of their sport participation, be it at the grassroots or performance level. In MOOC 4, “Maximising Sport Participation and Engagement in Youth Sport”, we look at the youth sport dropout phenomenon and explore what we can do to help young people stay in sport for life. In MOOC 5, “Developing Effective Talent Development Environments”. we explore what “talent” is and what effective and holistic talent development environments look like.

Low and declining movement competency and fitness in children presents a need to develop provision to reverse this trend. Physical Education (PE) curriculum has been recommended as an opportunity to achieve this, however this is often dominated by traditional games and presents challenges. This study aimed to conduct a preliminary exploration of the feasibility of a movement and fitness focussed intervention (Move to Sport; M2S), co-produced with nine PE teachers. Class-based and practical co-production sessions were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings highlighted teachers recognised the demand for M2S and felt it would be best delivered at the end of primary and start of secondary school. Challenges included; a) understanding how to combine movement-based and sport specific approaches to delivering PE, b) differentiation, and c) modes of assessment. Future recommendations include conducitng a feasibility trial of M2S in school and the assessment of the impact of M2S on children.

The implementation of long-term athletic development (LTAD) aims to improve health, physical activity and performance of all youth. Contemporary LTAD models suggest that a broad range of physical and psycho-social competencies should be developed in youth, but few resources are available for coaches that describe ‘how’ to achieve these outcomes. This paper overviews a coaching session framework called RAMPAGE (Raise, Activate, Mobilise, Prepare, Activity, Games, Evaluate). The framework provides practitioners with information on what can be planned and delivered and when within a coaching session, across multiple ages and stages of development within multiple contexts (e.g., physical education, talent development).

Talent Development Environments (TDEs) aim to provide the appropriate conditions for youth athletes to realise their full sporting potential. How TDEs are designed and operated is therefore of great importance for the development of elite athletes. Stakeholders are vital in this process, yet their perspectives are poorly understood. This study assessed the quality of TDEs across 5 European countries, comparing athlete, parent and coach perceptions. A total of 571 athletes (Mean age = 15.2 ± 1.5 years), 759 parents and 134 coaches were recruited from TDEs across 27 sports. Participants completed the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 or adapted versions. Overall, perceptions of European TDEs were positive. Coaches reported higher perceptions of TDE quality compared to athletes and parents, athletes reported marginally higher perceptions compared to parents. Across stakeholders, Long-Term Development was highest rated, followed by Communication. Support Network was lowest rated. Stakeholder perceptions varied most for the Holistic Quality Preparation subscale, highlighting perceived differences in TDE support for rounded athlete development. From an organisational perspec- tive, identified strengths and weaknesses provide direction to coach and parent education. Practically, TDE leaders should consider how they can refine stakeholder coordination through integrating stake- holder perceptions as valuable feedback into their environment, especially for intangible factors.