Clinical trial NCT05500781: Online Program for Coaching Girls: Coaching HER
Official title: Coaching HER: Eliminating Gender Stereotypes in Sport Coaching
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Intervention
Waitlist Control
Keywords: Athletes
Girls
Coaches
Web-based
Coach Education
Gender Stereotypes
Lead sponsor: University of Minnesota
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Unilever R&D
name: Nike
name: Laureus
name: University of West England
First posted: 2022-08-15
Enrollment: 55
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Despite the numerous physical and psychological benefits of taking part in sport, studies consistently show that only 15% of adolescent girls globally meet the recommended daily exercise guidelines (Guthold et al., 2018). The team climate, created by coaches, has been identified as a critical factor in both girls' participation in, and enjoyment of, sport and movement (CITE). Research indicates that girls disengage from sport because of body image concerns, uncomfortable and objectifying uniforms, appearance-related teasing from peers and coaches, untrained coaches, and negative team cultures (Murray et al., 2021; Vani et al., 2021).

help coaching girls books as another form of media that produces "commonsense proof" of girls' sport inferiority, essentializes gender differences, reifies the gender binary (Kane, 1995), and marginalizes the sport participation of girls.

The beliefs, values and expectations of significant adults can positively or negatively influence self-perceptions, motivation, experiences, and behaviors of children (Fredricks \& Eccles, 2005; Brustad et al., 2001) and also directly influence the coaching behaviors of adults (Cassidy et al., 2005).

The 'coaching girls' books examined for this study were formulaic products written from a perspective of difference, "despite extensive evidence from meta-analysis research of gender differences which supports the gender similarity hypothesis" (Hyde, 2005, p.590).

ambivalent and primarily non-research based messages contained within the books trivialize, misrepresent, distort, and marginalize girls' emotions, thoughts, relationships, skills and behaviors in sport contexts (Birrell \& Theberge, 1994), while upholding coaching boys as normative praxis. Coaching girls books appear to "help" coaches of female athletes, while simultaneously reifying gender stereotypes that undermine female empowerment that can occur in and through sports.

Praxis based on gendered beliefs of inherent difference is dangerous as it can undermine male-female relationships as well as beliefs of equality, and deprive all children of the opportunity to develop their full human potential (Barnett \& Rivers, 2004). Coaches must be aware that coaching is a gendered practice in which beliefs and values are enacted, sometimes in ways that limit the experiences of their athletes.

On the other hand, sport participation can improve girls' self perceptions and lead to accrual of health and development assets if the coach and adults in the context are aware of the gendered nature of sport, and strive to eliminate deleterious effects (LaVoi, 2018).

This study will test an educational program for coaches aimed at reducing gender essentialist beliefs and gender stereotypes of coaches, to improve the sport experience for girls.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Current Coaches of adolescent girls
* English speaking
* U.S. resident

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participants under 18 years of age
* Coaches outside of the US
* Coaches who only coach adult women or men/boys

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in coaches' self-efficacy in tackling gender stereotypes
timeFrame: Baseline, pre-intervention; immediately after the intervention (2 weeks later)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in coaches' self-efficacy in tackling gender essentialist beliefs
timeFrame: Baseline, pre-intervention; immediately after the intervention (2 weeks later)
measure: Total feasibility, acceptability, and adherence of the intervention (assessed via a self-report questionnaire)
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention
Other outcomes:
measure: Total acceptability of the intervention (assessed via a self-report questionnaire)
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention
measure: Total intervention adherence (assessed through session completion)
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention
Locations:
city: Minneapolis
country: United States
facility: University of Minnesota
state: Minnesota
Study officials:
References:
citation: Barnett, R., & Rivers, C. (2004). Same difference: How gender myths are hurting our relationships, our children, and our jobs. New York: Basic Books.
citation: Birrell, S., & Theberge, N. (1994). Ideological control of women in sport. In D.M. Costa & S.R. Guthrie (Eds.), Women and sport: Interdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 341-359). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics
citation: Brustad, R.J., Babkes, M.L., Smith (2001). Youth in sport: Psychological considerations (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons
citation: Cassidy, T., Jones, R., & Potrac, P. (2005). Understanding sports coaching: The social, cultural and pedagogical foundations of coaching practice. New York: Routledge.
citation: Fredricks, J.A, & Eccles, J.S. (2005). Family socialization, gender, and sport motivation and involvement. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 27, 3-31. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.27.1.3
citation: Guthold R, Stevens GA, Riley LM, Bull FC. Worldwide trends in insufficient physical activity from 2001 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 358 population-based surveys with 1.9 million participants. Lancet Glob Health. 2018 Oct;6(10):e1077-e1086. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30357-7. Epub 2018 Sep 4.
citation: Hyde JS. The gender similarities hypothesis. Am Psychol. 2005 Sep;60(6):581-592. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.6.581.
citation: Kane, M. J. (1995). Resistance/transformation of the oppositional binary: Exposing sport as a continuum. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 19(2), 191-218. https://doi.org/10.1177/019372395019002006
citation: LaVoi, N.M. (2018). Girls' physical activity participation: A best practices model and summary. In N.M. LaVoi (Ed.) The 2018 Tucker Center research report, developing physically active girls: An evidence-based multidisciplinary approach (pp. 197-213). Minneapolis, MN
citation: Murray, R. M., Sabiston, C. M., Coffee, P., & Kowalski, K. C. (2021). Strengthening the relationship between physical activity and physical self-concept: The moderating effect of controllable attributions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 52, 101828.
citation: Vani, M. F., Murray, R. M., & Sabiston, C. M. (2021). Body image and physical activity. Essentials of exercise and sport psychology: An open access textbook, 150-175.