Coaches’ Perceived Knowledge of the National Standards for Sport Coaches: Insights into Coach Development

Abstract

To help develop consistent training for coaches, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education created the National Standards for Sport Coaches (NSSC), which consists of eight domains and 40 standards. The purpose of this study was to examine high school coaches' perceived knowledge related to the NSSC, continuing education, and sources of feedback. Information was gathered from 162 male and female team sport coaches from Mississippi and Kentucky. Four main findings emerged: 1) coaches perceived themselves to be above average in all 40 standards; 2) there were no significant differences between states of Kentucky and Mississippi for perceived knowledge in any domain 3) a difference in perceived knowledge based on years of coaching was found for Domain 5: Teaching and Communication; and 4) coaches reported most frequently using assistant coaches, their self, athletic directors, and athletes as sources of coaching feedback.

The learning process of a coach: Preferences of coaches in the United States

“…The report contained guidance on the most current coaching education requirements for interscholastic athletics and youth sports (Bodey et al, 2008). In addition, the report established the National Standard for Sport Coaches (NSSC) commonly adopted by state high school associations and youth sport programs (Blom et al, 2010).…”

“…Currently, the United States lacks an established consensus on the requirements to become a coach and is deficient in a national coaching education or certification program for coaches (Dieffenbach & Wayda, 2010). The National Standards for Sport Coaches (NSSC), created by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), is commonly adopted by state high school associations and youth sport programs (Blom, Wininger, Zakrajsek, and Kirkpatrick, 2010).…”