Job stressors, strain, and psychological wellbeing among women sports coaches

• Published in: International journal of sports science & coaching Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 456 - 464
• Main Authors: Didymus, Faye F, Norman, Leanne, Hurst, Megan, Clarke, Nicola J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Disability; diversity; ethnicity; national governing bodies; work-related stress
• ISSN: 1747-9541; 2048-397X
• DOI: 10.1177/1747954120974345

Despite a globally recognised need for inclusive diversity among sport workforces, women are underrepresented in the inherently stressful profession of sports coaching. This study aimed to work with women sports coaches to answer the following research questions: 1) What demographic and contract-related factors are associated with job stressors? 2) What associations exist between job stressors, strain, and psychological wellbeing (PWB) at work? Women coaches (n = 217) volunteered to complete the revised version of An Organizational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET). Path analyses identified several groups of coaches (head coaches, “other” coaches, disabled coaches) who experienced more job stressors related to their coaching work. They also highlighted the importance of workload stressors and their detrimental relationship with psychological and physical strain but positive relationship with sense of purpose (i.e., eudaimonic wellbeing). Collectively, these findings offer the first assessment of women coaches’ job stressors, strain, and PWB, and offer insight to factors that may influence coaches’ engagement with the profession. They also highlight intervention foci for national governing bodies that are seeking to protect the health and wellbeing of the women coaches within their workforce.