Eric Martin, assistant professor of kinesiology, recently had a research article published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Tennis titled “Parent perceptions of their child’s coach: Coaching knowledge, behavior and interpersonal relationships.” Ian Cowburn, senior lecturer of sport coaching at Leeds Beckett University and Dan Gould, professor and director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports are co-authors.
The study investigated parent perceptions of their child’s coach in the USTA 10-and-under tennis program. Parents viewed their relationship with their child’s coach as highly positive and this did not differ between fathers and mothers. Parents communicated with coaches frequently on several aspects of the tennis environment and their child’s development. Overall, parents believed coaches engaged with their children in positive manners (e.g., positive and upbeat, creating a warm and caring climate, challenging the child) and had high levels of coaching knowledge, especially in terms of tennis-specific skills.
The research was done in conjunction with the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University and the United States Tennis Association (USTA).