High school football coaches and stress

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the three most common areas of stress in Western Wisconsin head football coaches. An additional purpose to determine which areas had the most intense levels of high or extreme stress. Coaches (n=24) completed a modified Coaching Issues Survey (CIS) originally developed by Dr. Betty Kelley. Results indicate that coaches view the pressure to win as the greatest source of stress. In addition, coaches reported that 75% (n=18) of this stress was either in the high or extreme range. The review of literature presents previous investigations on the level of burnout among amateur coaches. The causes that can lead to occupational burnout are also discussed. A Stress model, and its application for coaches, defines the three stages of stress. Many different factors of stress along with techniques for stress reduction are listed.