The Effects of a Coaching Education Program on Coaching Efficacy of Volunteer Youth Soccer Coaches

Abstract

There is a dearth of research examining the impact of coaching education programs on youth volunteer coaches‘ efficacy levels. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of participation in a coaching education program on volunteer youth soccer coaches‘ coaching efficacy. Volunteer youth soccer coaches (N=87) served as the participants in this study. The participants enrolled in the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) coaching education course which consisted of 18 hours of training. The Coaching Efficacy Scale, or CES, questionnaire was the instrument employed to measure coaching efficacy levels. Participants completed CES questionnaires prior to and immediately after completing the course. The CES examined how confident participants were in influencing the development of their athletes in four interrelated aspects coaching: strategy efficacy, motivation efficacy, technique efficacy, and character building efficacy. Results from a paired samples t- Tests revealed a number of important findings related to the effect of coaching education programs. There was a significant increase in total coaching efficacy (TCE) and on all four sub dimensions (i.e. game strategy, technique, motivations, and character building efficacy) as measure by the CES. The results add credence to the assertion that coaching education, specifically the USSF Level One course, is a significant source of coaching efficacy. Implications of these findings for future research into the effect of coaching education preparation are discussed.