Crafting A Coach Training Framework To Contribute To The Million Coaches Challenge: An Evidence-Based Call To Action

Access to sports contributes to youths’ developmental health outcomes by fostering socioemotional learning and promoting physical activity. However, only 32% of coaches are trained in youth development practices. The Million Coaches Challenge (MCC) is a nationwide collaborative effort to train 1,000,000 youth sports coaches by 2025. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) supports the MCC initiative by providing coach training technical assistance and evaluation services to park and recreation (P&R) agencies across the United States. This NRPA-supported branch of the MCC project aims to train 30,000 coaches across two years (2024-2025), thus contributing to the overarching MCC goal. PURPOSE: Using evaluation data from the NRPA-supported MCC Year 1 cohort, we aim to develop a Coach Training Framework outlining innovative strategies P&R agencies can use to recruit, train, and retain youth sports coaches. METHODS: We used a mixed methods approach to assess survey data describing 30 P&R agencies’ coach training activities. Qualitative methods included iterative and team-based coding, giving way to a rich narrative comprised of “a priori” deductive and emergent/inductive themes. RESULTS: Thematic analyses indicated seven main “call to action” takeaways P&R agencies can consider when developing their own coach training programs; collectively, these findings serve as the foundation of a preliminary Coach Training Framework. Four takeaways inform Marketing, Engagement, and Sustainability action steps (e.g., leveraging multiple in-person and online training platforms, building coach mentoring networks, collaborating with cross-sector community champions). Three takeaways inform strategies to create Successful Programs based on Systems Change (e.g., enacting structural, relational, and transformational change). Notably, agencies reported community engagement was a key strategy to sustaining coach training programs; 63% formed at least one new community partnership and 50% strengthened three or more ongoing partnerships. CONCLUSION: P&R systems are essential community assets that can facilitate youths’ healthy development and activity via coach training programs. Preliminary work suggests an exciting opportunity to expand the Coach Training Framework for use by P&R agencies. Supported by: The authors acknowledge and thank the Susan Crown Exchange for grant funds contributing to this project via the Million Coaches Challenge. The Million Coaches Challenge was created to build a future where all youth are equipped with the skills they need to thrive. This initiative aims to bridge the gap in coach training, ensuring that coaches are equipped with the necessary tools to promote positive youth development.