Abstract
Among youth athletes, the timing and experience of menstruation can have mixed implications for athletes' physical health, psychological health, and performance. There is an emerging body of research examining menstruation and its impact on sport participation and performance. However, there are few studies examining coaches’ perspectives and experiences coaching female adolescent athletes and navigating topics related to menstruation. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives and experiences of coaches of female adolescent athletes experiencing menarche and menstruation. Thirteen coaches (n = 6 male; n = 7 female) participated in semi-structured interviews and interview transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019). A key theme concerned coaches’ discomfort with discussing the topic of menstruation, and related themes included the sexualization of female adolescent athletes, cultural differences, lack of personal experiences, and sport policies. Coaches’ discomfort was reflected in narrative choices including euphemisms and drawing on stereotypes when discussing menstruation (e.g., ‘moody’ or ‘emotional’ athletes). Coaches medicalized menstruation as a way of talking about it with athletes; for coaches this was a useful entry point for discussions but also reflected a pathologizing of menstruation. Female coaches were essentialized and positioned as experts to provide support and address issues related to menstruation. The results of this study shed light on the issues and concerns coaches have regarding the topic of menstruation among female adolescent athletes, as well as the broader narratives regarding gender and women in sport that influence the ways that coaches navigate these issues.
