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Special Populations

(51) FEEDBACK FROM ONLINE YOUTH SPORTS SAFETY TRAINING FOR COACHES

Friday, July 14, 2023
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM East Coast USA Time
Location: Milano III-IV
Abstract Details:

Purpose: Online learning opportunities are growing. Therefore, the opportunity to provide youth sports safety education to professionals and volunteers outside of a formal school setting is appealing to a variety of groups. However, formal feedback mechanisms to help design and implement education in this space are lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore common feedback received from an online youth sports safety program implemented using an e-learning platform.

Methods: Participants completed the training program that consisted of 11 modules, covering 9 subject areas including coaching young athletes, mental health, concussions, overuse injuries, communicable and infectious diseases, sudden cardiac arrest, conditions unique to the young athlete, and emergency preparedness. Upon completion of the modules, participants must pass a quiz to receive their certificate of training. After receiving their certificate, participants were asked to evaluate their experience using a self-report feedback survey. Feedback data related to the course outcomes, course length, and willingness to promote to others were collected and analyzed from an online learning management system after completion of the training course. Ten total questions were used in the feedback survey assessment of which five were Likert-type items, three were dichotomous (yes/no), and two were categorical. Data are reported as percentages.

Results: In total 1,438 coaches completed the training course and the self-report feedback survey. 85% stated that the course information was helpful in completing the certificate quiz. 87% stated that the course was organized in a logical sequence. 87% stated that the course would help them be more aware of potential health issues. 85% stated that the course enhanced their ability to think critically about youth sports injuries. 83% found the instructional videos helpful. 81% found the length of the course to be “just right” with 18% stating it was “too long”, and 1% “too short”. 94% would be more likely to let a family member play for a coach who had also gone through this training. 93% think all youth coaches should be required to take this youth sports training course. 95% would recommend this course to other youth sports coaches. The sport breakdown was as follows, soccer 30%, basketball 20%, football/flag football 19%, baseball 10%, volleyball 8%, and softball 6%. The remaining 7% came from cheer, gymnastics, cross-country, and track.

Conclusion: Overall, the results were favorable for all metrics. However, the largest noted areas for improvement were course length and the helpfulness of the instructional videos. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Those involved in designing and implementing online coach training programs should be aware of feedback from their participants. In this particular case, the course content was designed to help the coaches pass an assessment that met state law requirements. Course changes that can be made to improve the overall experience, while not compromising the quality, should be strongly considered. Notably, the overall course length and perceived benefit of instructional assets are points of interest.

Acknowledgements: Coach Safely Foundation