Validation of the Coaching Life Skills in Sport Questionnaire Among College Athletes

Background

As a unique population of youth and youth people (ages 15–24), college athletes are confronted with complex and dynamic biopsychosocial demands (Comeaux, 2019). Research, however, has suggested that the development of transferable life skills may equip college athletes with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage challenges and stressors (Yamada & Tsuchiya, 2022). Moreover, the development of life skills (e.g., communication, social skill) has been shown to have a significant positive influence on college athlete engagement in social justice promotion (Turgeon et al., 2023). Within sport systems (Dorsch et al., 2022), coaches are recognized as being uniquely positioned to facilitate the development of transferable life skills. To better understand the impact of coaching practices, Bean et al. (2018) proposed the Implicit/Explicit Life Skills Continuum, which outlines six specific coaching strategies: Structuring and Facilitating a Positive Sport Climate, Discussing Life Skills, Practicing Life Skills, Discussing Life Skills Transfer, Practicing Life Skills Transfer. Recently, Camiré et al. (2021) used the continuum to develop the Coaching Life Skills in Sport Questionnaire (CLSS-Q), which was found to reflect a five-factor structure to measure coaching practices amongst high school athletes. Although promising, much remains unknown about the impact of coaching practices on the development of life skills among college athletes. This study aims to validate the CLSS-Q in the novel context of collegiate athletics.

Method

Cross-sectional data were collected from 326 college athletes across eight universities in the northeastern region of the United States. Participants were, on average, 19.86 years old (SD = 1.37) and identified as female (n = 231, 70.86%). A total of 17 sports were represented, including track and field (n = 72), swimming and diving (n = 45), and lacrosse (n = 37). To examine the impact of distinct coaching practices used to teach life skills, college athlete participants completed the CLSS-Q. Factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis and fit statistics of CLSS-Q were examined. Additionally, sex invariance of the best-fitting model was assessed.

Results

CLSS-Q demonstrated strong psychometric validity among college athletes. The scale exhibited good model fit: CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.950, SRMR = 0.034, and χ²/df = 1.714 (Hu & Bentler, 1998). The RMSEA was acceptable with a value of 0.063 (90% CI [0.056, 0.069]; Hiar et al., 2010). The CLSS-Q demonstrated measurement invariance across sex, with changes in CFI supporting both weak invariance (equated loadings; ΔCFI = 0.05) and strong invariance (intercepts equated loadings; ΔCFI = 0.06; Cheung & Rensvold, 2002).

Conclusion

Much remains unknown about the influence of coaching practices on the development and transfer of life skills among college athletes. Findings from the current study revealed that the CLSS-Q is a validated five-factor measurement tool. Validity and reliability evidence extends the application of the CLSS-Q, providing researchers with a valuable instrument to examine coaching practices within collegiate athletics. Ultimately, by understanding the impacts of distinct coaching practices on life skill development and transfer, coaches and coach educators can enhance their efforts to meet the complex and dynamic needs of college athletes.