Architects of Community: An Examination of How Interscholastic Sport Coaches Promote a Sense of Community
This study examined how interscholastic sport coaches promote a sense of community (SOC) within their programs and identified the strategies employed to achieve this outcome. While research demonstrates that sport participation facilitates SOC, limited evidence exists regarding the specific mechanisms through which coaches promote SOC and the identified strategies employed to achieve this outcome in interscholastic settings. Using Warner's Sport and Sense of Community Theory as a conceptual framework, this basic qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with nine interscholastic sport coaches. Data analysis utilized a hybrid thematic analysis approach to identify patterns in coaching practices that promote SOC. Findings revealed that coaches could unknowingly foster SOC through team policies, coaching methodologies, and communication protocols. Coaches explanation of their team management approach indicated that they offered administrative considerations, competition, equitable decision-making, leadership opportunities, and social spaces to their players. The research demonstrated that offering the possibility to experience an SOC required deliberate design and ongoing decision-making rather than emerging as an incidental outcome. This study advances both theoretical and practical understanding of SOC in interscholastic sport contexts. Theoretically, it extends Sport and Sense of Community Theory by examining its application in secondary school-sponsored athletics. Practically, it provides evidence-based strategies for coaches to intentionally design programs that enhance felt community as a viable outcome of sport participation. The findings suggest that fostering SOC should be considered a measurable indicator of program success, particularly for novice coaches. Moreover, this research reinforces interscholastic sport's potential as a vehicle for promoting belonging among adolescents, emphasizing the need for intentional program design as a pathway to positive sport experiences.
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