Background: The work of a coach can be stressful, and little is known about how volunteer coaches in child and youth soccer perceive stress. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to explore perceptions of stress among Swedish volunteer youth soccer coaches. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to 1514 soccer coaches of which 688 (78% men and 22% women; 4% < 30 years, 34% 31–40 years; 57% 41–50 years and 5% > 51 years) with non-profit positions responded. Results: Findings indicate that participants in general do not feel excessively stressed by being a volunteer youth soccer coach (M = 2.20; SD = 0.93; Min = 1; Max = 5), and no significant differences in perceived stress level were found based on gender, age, ethnicity, educational level or occupation. Multiple regression analysis showed that demands from employment (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), difficulty catching up with the family (β = 0.22, p < 0.001), not having enough time to plan activities (β = 0.13, p < 0.001), feeling pressured when selecting the team (β = 0.09, p = 0.013) and own demands to achieve good results (β = 0.07, p = 0.045), significantly contributed to perceptions of stress among the investigated youth sport coaches. Conclusions: The results shed light on the important aim that sport clubs develop holistic strategies when recruiting and retaining coaches and for other functions concerning child and youth soccer teams.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore health from the perspective of young immigrants in Sweden.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 25 newly arrived young immigrants attending Swedish language classes in northern Sweden participated by drawing and writing open letters. They continued the open-ended sentence “Now I’ll draw and describe a day when I was feeling good, that was […].”
Findings
The phenomenological analysis resulted in three themes: longing to be in control for a better life, searching for power in the good and the bad, and striving for a sense of belonging in the new society. The findings illuminate young immigrants’ perspectives of a health-promoting everyday life consisting of agency, reflection and a sense of community. The findings also highlight the young immigrants’ experiences when health-promoting aspects are lacking, characterized by disillusionment, anxiety and loneliness. The findings are discussed with health promotion, health literacy and young immigrants in mind.
Practical implications
According to young immigrants, meeting basic needs such as food, sleep and housing is health promoting but easily taken for granted. Being able to have a say in matters concerning everyday life, social inclusion and finding power in memories – positive and negative – can promote health in young immigrants.
Originality/value
The young immigrants were able to communicate via drawings and words to overcome language barriers.
Leading with Pedagogical Tact- a Challenge in Children's Sports in Sweden
The purpose of this article is to elucidate and problemize meetings between children and leaders in children's sport. The competitive sport is high valuated in the Swedish society and sport for children is central in the Swedish youth politics. The foundation in Swedish sport, as well as in the other Nordic countries, has for a long time relied on voluntary commitment. Approximately 650 000 people are voluntary engaged as leaders in sport in Sweden and 70% of children between 7 and 14 years compete in sports clubs. There is, however, a tension in the Swedish sport system. The sports for children has double missions - ‘association nurturing’ and ‘competition nurturing’, missions which are not always in harmony. In the daily activity it is the voluntary leaders who have to deal with these missions, which creates a field of tension. In this article I argue for a bridge between these missions by a leadership based on pedagogical tact. The empirical outlook is a narrative based on statements from leaders, children and parents in a study dealing with voluntary leadership within children's football. In the end I argue that focusing on this bridge is a win-win situation, both for children and sports.
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