Abstract
Emotions and coaching are culturally specific; however, there has been limited progress in the development of culturally competent research tools in sport. Research examining emotions in coaching can benefit from an emic view of culture that focuses on the significance of relational processes associated with language, communication, and perspectives, as well as practices underpinned by cultural meanings, beliefs, and values that guide athlete development. Therefore, the present study adapted the Assessment of Coach Emotions (ACE) originally developed in Canada, for use within the Swedish sport context. The ACE-S was developed in four phases. First, four Swedish coaches were interviewed to explore their perspective of coaching related emotions. Second, linguistic and content changes were implemented following a process of translation undertaken with 55 sport coaching undergraduate students. Third, the newly developed ACE-S codes were reviewed for clarity and relevance by four experts in sport psychology and coaching. Finally, the ACE-S was tested by coding and analysing recordings of eight coaches during training and competition to evaluate the tool’s reliability, usefulness, and feasibility. The results indicate that the ACE-S’ validity and reliability are comparable to the original ACE, demonstrating the effectiveness of the process of cultural adaptation and the ACE-S’ ability to assess the emotional expression of Swedish coaches. The availability of culturally competent measurement tools is critical for ensuring the reliability and validity of research investigating sport coaches’ emotions. Optimizing coaches’ emotional expression is of central importance in creating a safe sport environment, enhancing coaching effectiveness, and maximizing positive youth development.
