Speaker
Description
Despite substantial research and advocacy, including the advancement of Safe Sport policy, specific cases of harassment, abuse, neglect, and maltreatment, as well as the broader (re)production of maladaptive sport culture, are still present in the Canadian youth sport system. Coaches are a critical stakeholder in youth sport and nexus between youth athletes and parents, playing a central role in the uptake and implementation of such policies and policy-driven practices. Although it is known that youth coaches play a vital role in implementation and promotion of positive sporting environments, there continues to be a lack of consensus and clarity as to what constitutes a ‘safe sport’. Employing qualitative research methods, this paper will highlight findings from a study exploring the knowledge, perceptions, and implementation experiences of Safe Sport practices and safe sport culture among youth sport coaches at the grassroots level. Although there seems to be more mention of safe sport than ever before in Canadian public consciousness, this paper emphasizes that there remains challenges with the implementation of safe sport policy and related initiatives due, in part, to a conceptual murkiness around what is ‘safe sport culture’ and to whom it applies. The study aims to provide insights as to how safe sport culture is conceptualized and implemented (or not) at its most elementary stage, which may afford further insight into how safe sport can be better translated to higher levels of sport and/or long-term sport participation.
