Examining the Role of Hockey Leadership to Foster Inclusive Coaching Practices: Discussions from Atlantic Canada

Abstract

Coaching has been widely examined in the sport of ice hockey. Technical skill development, player management, and the ability to improve performance have been very notable areas of inquiry. As the critical roles of coaching leadership and communication become clearer, there is limited research available which explores the context of inclusive hockey coaching leadership to support more equitable practices. This paper will focus on specific data extracted from a previous study completed by the authors in which general hockey leadership skills and professional development were explored. This paper will present the outcomes of fostering inclusion and diversity from a coaching lens. Thirteen minor hockey coaches from Atlantic Canada (i.e., who are members of the Atlantic Hockey Group) participated in this qualitative study. Semi structured interviews were conducted online or in-person. A thematic analysis was used to explore data obtained from the interviews. Results revealed that coaches had limited communication training experience when working with diverse abilities, age groups, languages, genders, or cultures. Limited professional development specific to inclusive training was noted by participants. Our results demonstrated that various self-led leadership strategies were utilized to promote inclusive practices such as informal community-peer mentorship opportunities, and small group instructional sessions. Overall, the results give us insights into coaches’ experiences with inclusive leadership and highlight current gaps. During the conclusion, future recommendations for continued study, specifically within leadership training for diversity within ice hockey, are offered.