Administrator Reflections on Youth Sport Programming: Moving Forward After the COVID-19 Pandemic

AbstractYouth sport has been a context where positive youth development (PYD) can be promoted (Fraser-Thomas et al., 2005). However, for youth sport to effectively foster PYD, all adult leaders need to understand and invest in the approach. The youth sport context is a large system that encompasses multiple stakeholders across the developmental lifespan of athletes (Dorsch et al., 2022). Much of PYD research reflects the contributions of parents and coaches (e.g., Harwood et al., 2019; Vella et al., 2011), yet often overlooked is the administrator role in PYD. Administrators are tasked with communicating and reinforcing organizational missions across stakeholders for the duration of the season (Schwab et al., 2010). Despite the essential responsibilities administrators hold within the organization, little research has examined how well missions are enacted in youth sport. Within PYD research, studies have found the importance of structuring programs to reach desired outcomes (e.g., life skills; Bean & Forneris, 2016). Thus, it would be beneficial to understand how administrators perceive the missions of, along with the implementation within, youth sport organizations.