Coaches As Catalysts: Evidence on Advancing Youth Development and Mental Health through Sport

Background and Purpose: Coaches are influential adults uniquely positioned to facilitate positive youth development (PYD) at scale, with approximately 60% of children participating in organized sport (Aspen Institute, 2024). Yet, most receive limited preparation to support mental health and PYD in practice (Anderson-Butcher & Bates, 2022). In 2021, Ohio passed legislation requiring mental health training for school-based coaches. To operationalize this policy, Coach Beyond, a statewide initiative grounded in PYD and led by sport social workers, was implemented to provide accessible, applied training that helps coaches go beyond the X’s and O’s to support mental health. This study examines whether coordinated policy and practice efforts improved coaches’ perceived efficacy over time and explores trends in preparedness related to Coach Beyond.

Methods: Data were drawn from two waves of the Ohio Coach Survey (Wave I: 2021; Wave II: 2026), each including over 5,000 coaches. Surveys used repeated cross-sectional designs with longitudinal comparisons to assess change over time. Participants included school- and community-based coaches recruited through statewide athletic associations and partner networks. Measures assessed perceived efficacy in recognizing and responding to athlete mental health concerns, training access, and preparedness. Analyses included descriptive statistics and group comparisons across waves to examine changes in efficacy and associated factors.

Results: Findings demonstrated increases in coaches’ perceived efficacy to support athlete mental health following implementation of training requirements. In Wave II (2026), 62% of coaches reported participating in mental health training, up from 55% in Wave I (2021), with higher participation among those in districts delivering Coach Beyond (74%). Those trained through Coach Beyond reported greater preparedness, with 84% indicating confidence in addressing mental health concerns compared to 77% of non-trained peers. Despite these gains, gaps remain across key domains related to mental health and PYD. While nearly all coaches expressed confidence in fostering positive team environments (99%) and teaching life skills (98%), fewer reported strong confidence in specific practices, including reducing performance anxiety (78%), preventing burnout (76%), and identifying off-field stressors (76%). Further, 31% of coaches reported that their peers do not effectively respond to mental health concerns, highlighting persistent gaps in applied competencies. Contextual findings underscore the urgency of continued scaling, with one in five coaches reporting burnout and approximately 17% of Ohio school districts experiencing the death of a student-athlete by suicide in the past year.

Conclusion: Results suggest that policy changes in training requirements can improve coach efficacy at scale, highlighting legislation as a powerful systems-level lever for supporting mental health through sport. However, persistent gaps indicate the need for sustained investment in coach education that integrates PYD and builds practical coping strategies for both coaches and athletes. Social workers are uniquely positioned to lead these efforts by partnering with sport systems to design and deliver training, support adult learning, and embed mental health promotion into everyday sport experiences. Given the reach of youth sport, strengthening coach capacity represents a scalable strategy to enhance belonging and well-being for millions of youth.