Win at All Costs? COVID-19 Protocol Compliance and the Performance Culture of NCAA Coaches

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Coaching, Leadership, and Organizational Culture in Youth and College Sport

Abstract

We examined if NCAA Division I coaches complied with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Medical Sport Playbook guidance on COVID-19, which includes recommendations for social distancing, sanitation, personal protective equipment (PPE), pre-participation exams, and daily screening. Coaches (n = 179) from 29 Division I sports completed a survey. The research question was: RQ1 What is the relationship between win/loss records and compliance with COVID-19 recommendations for social distancing, sanitation, personal protective equipment (PPE), pre-participation exams, and daily screening? H1 Teams with winning records are more likely to comply with COVID-19 recommendations. Considering coaching leadership and psychological motivation as the conceptual framework, winning teams did not engage in sanitation or daily screening at a statistically significant level.

Authors

• Leah P. Hollis, Pennsylvania State University

• Gala Sofia Campos Oaxaca, Pennsylvania State University