Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of adolescent athletes' process of learning to cope and the role of parents and coaches within this process. Interviews were conducted with 17 athletes (8 females, 9 males, M age = 15.6 years) 10 parents (8 mothers, 2 fathers), and 7 male coaches. Interviews were analysed using grounded theory methodology (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). The core category of learning to cope was an experiential process for adolescent athletes, suggesting that athletes must gain personal experience in dealing with stressors in order to learn how to cope. Athletes learned about coping by being exposed to multiple situations in their sport and by reflecting on their stressors and coping efforts. Parents and coaches helped athletes learn to cope by creating a trusting environment which facilitated the learning process, and by using specific strategies for assistance which included: questioning and reminding, sharing experiences, providing perspective, 'dosing' stress experiences, initiating informal discussions, direct instruction, and creating learning opportunities. Parents and coaches also negotiated a number of 'balancing acts' which influenced the creation of a trusting environment as well as the specific strategies they used to help athletes learn to cope. Learning about coping appeared to be characterized by an athlete's ability to flexibly use coping strategies in an independent and persistent manner.Acknowledgments: This research was supported by a Doctoral Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and a Human Performance Grant from the University of Alberta.