Abstract
Despite substantial research and advocacy, including advancement of Safe Sport policy, cases of harassment, abuse, neglect, and maltreatment, as well as the broader (re)production of maladaptive sport culture, are still present in the Canadian sport system. While most of the scrutiny on Safe Sport in Canada is occurring at the national level, it remains unclear whether the calls for action and associated response (i.e., policies) are meaningfully unfolding within grassroot sport, let alone being implement by those charged with enacting them 'on the ground.' Coaches are a critical nexus in youth sport playing a central role in the uptake and implementation of such policies and policy-driven practices. Employing qualitative interviews and Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019), this study explored the knowledge, perceptions, and implementation experiences of Safe Sport practices among coaches at grassroots level youth sports (n =13). Although 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’ from their perspective. This study emphasized that there remains challenges with the implementation of Safe Sport policy and related initiatives due, in part, to the conceptual murkiness around what is ‘Safe Sport’ and to whom it applies, especially at lower levels of sport. The study provides insights as to how Safe Sport is conceptualized and implemented (or not) at its most elementary stage, informing better translation to higher levels of sport and/or long-term sport participation.
