We recently undertook a review of the peer-reviewed published work on sport coach’s views of ‘success’. This literature makes important emphasises for coaches of children’s sport. In this post, I share what children’s sport coaches can take from the coach’s framings of success found in the literature to guide the task of coaching their teams.
Key Messages for Coaches of Children’s Sport
- Our review found that while winning is often mentioned by coaches, no study defined winning as the sole indicator of success and for many coaches of children’s sport winning was not at all an indicator of success. Coaches consistently described success as multi‑dimensional, combining the ability to create an environment where the child felt comfortable to play with broader player developmental goals, consistent with an athlete/player-centred approach as a human-centred endeavour.
- Across studies, coaches frequently defined success asplayer personal growth, highlighting personal and social skills development, including confidence, responsibility, effort, persistence, and resilience. The message for coaches of children’s sport is that practice sessions, match selection, and player feedback should intentionally support children’s personal development, and not be limited to game performance skills for game results.
- The review highlighted children’s emotional growth and enjoymentas legitimate indicators of successful coaching. Coaches of children’s sport should view a successful season by the witnessing of joy, belonging, motivation, and positive emotions, even in the absence of a winning record.
- Coach understandings of success were multi-dimensional and varied by the age of athletes, the competitive level, the sport setting, and cultural and organisational expectations. What “successful coaching” looks like for under‑10s may be very different from youth in a talent pathway program, and that difference is legitimate. Coach views of success are understandably context‑dependent.
- Tension can arise arises when coaches’ definitions of success do not align with those of parents, clubs, or governing bodies. Misaligned expectations of success create the potential for tension. Coaches of children’s sport should have explicit and open conversations early in the season about success as personal growth and development to prevent the possibility of misalignment of expectations and to protect children’s sport experiences as contexts for growth, development, and joy.
- The review found coaches’ beliefs shape the sport experience in that how coaches personally define success strongly influences how they plan and design, enact and communicate, and relate with their players and stakeholders in the experience of the sport.
Our review of research literature highlighted that most coaches of children’s sport consider successful coaching is not about choosing development or winning, but about integrating both appropriately for children. This includes framing development as winning. Clear, shared, and developmentally appropriate definitions of success help keep everyone involved in children’s sport focussed on what is most important about children’s sport – that the children want to come back and play again.
Henderson, P., Vickery, W., & Pill, S. Coaches’ definitions of success in sport: A rapid review. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 1-10. DOI: 10.1177/17479541261432364
Dr. Shane Pill
Shane is an internationally recognised award-winning academic, mentor, speaker, & researcher. Since 2006, Shane lectures & undertakes research in physical education, sport coaching & development, curriculum studies, & educational leadership at Flinders University. Shane has published over 200 research, scholarly & report publications. He has grant success in the research areas of physical education, mental health education, sport coaching, sport for development, coach development, and community sport engagement. Shane has a demonstrated record in higher education in innovation, new course development and course leadership in Education. He has extensive not for profit education sector board experience.
