Gretchen Kerr

University of Toronto | U of T

The athlete maltreatment crisis and associated cover-ups in sport have received considerable public attention. Calls have been made to critically reflect on broader social norms or features of the sport domain that may enable and sustain such behaviors. To demonstrate the systemic nature of maltreatment, we provide a critical analysis of the case o...

The barrage of stories from athletes about their experiences of maltreatment in sport has led some to conclude that sport is “in crisis”. Across sport types and levels, men’s and women’s sports, and countries, stories of athletes’ experiences of maltreatment are remarkably similar, pointing to the central role played by sport cultures and norms. Th...

Within the sport context, critical social agents, such as coaches and peers have a significant impact on youth developmental outcomes as well as participation decisions. While youth’s interpersonal relationships with coaches and peers in sport have received considerable attention, to-date, there remains a lack of research examining the impact of su...

Given the documented benefits associated with organized sport and thus the assumption that youth who leave sport are losing out on developmental benefits, dropout has been predominantly framed as a crisis to be solved. Throughout this paper we aimed to challenge the overarching narrative of youth dropout from organized sport as a negative outcome o...

Context Participation in sports during youth is typically beneficial for mental health. However, it is unclear whether elite sport contexts contribute to greater risk of psychological distress or disorder. The aims of this paper are to highlight conceptual issues that require resolution in future research and practice, and to examine the key factor...

Despite over 30 years of scholarly attention devoted to bullying and cyberbullying behaviors in school settings, research related to these experiences in the sport context remains limited. Yet, numerous anecdotal examples and preliminary evidence suggests cyberbullying exists in the sport domain and must be addressed given the potential adverse psy...

This study explored the relationships between athletes' experiences of maltreatment and mental health indicators. Canadian National Team athletes completed an online, anonymous survey that assessed reported experiences of maltreatment (psychological, physical, sexual harm and neglect), and mental health indicators of well-being, eating disorders an...

Millions of girls and young women participate in organized sports annually as a vehicle for developing a strong sense of self, social bonds, a positive body image and a sense of agency. Although the benefits of sport engagement are experienced by many girls, the overwhelming evidence of experiences of gender-based violence in sport cannot be ignore...

The following study employed an instrumental case study to investigate sport stakeholders’ understandings of behavioural management strategies used in competitive youth baseball, including the identification of common strategies and interpretations of these as punishment or discipline. Twenty-one participants, from one competitive (AAA) all-boys ba...

While athletes can experience poor mental health, researchers often focuses on the personal factors that impact an athlete’s mental health. Such a narrow focus neglects the broader contextual factors, such as involvement within sport systems, that can impact athlete mental health. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to understand how elite spo...

Researchers have documented how athletes navigate transitions within high-performance sport; however, little is known about the transitions that youth athletes face in their athletic development. When studying youth sport populations, it is imperative to consider how sports experiences coincide with children’s changing psychosocial abilities. The p...

Mental ill health is an important health condition affecting young people globally. Approximately half of all common mental disorders emerge before the age of 18, including mood, anxiety, eating, substance use and neurodevelopmental disorders. Yet an estimated 58% of mental disorders in adolescents go undetected and untreated with barriers to acces...

In response to numerous highly publicized cases of athlete maltreatment, sport organizations have developed prevention and intervention strategies under the umbrella term of Safe Sport; however, confusion exists about what it does and does not encompass. To better understand what Safe Sport encompasses, this study sought to develop a conceptual fra...

In response to numerous highly publicized cases of athlete maltreatment, sport organizations have developed prevention and intervention strategies under the umbrella term of Safe Sport; however, confusion exists about what it does and does not encompass. To better understand what Safe Sport encompasses, this study sought to develop a conceptual fra...

The realization of human rights in sports traditionally placed its trust in voluntary adherence by and the protection of national and international sports bodies. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recently reported that there is no existing mechanism to assure compliance by the International Olympic Committee and the Internation...

Despite sport being a vehicle through which youth may achieve positive developmental outcomes, maltreatment in the youth sport context remains a significant concern. With increased athlete advocacy and research demonstrating the high prevalence of maltreatment in sport, and the urgent need to address it, many international organisations have create...

There is a growing concern that the voices of athletes, and in particular, athletes from equity-deserving groups, are unaccounted for in the development and advancement of Safe Sport initiatives. The lack of consideration of the needs and experiences of diverse groups is concerning, given the existing literature outside the context of sport indicat...

With increased media scrutiny, public awareness, and research on the prevalence of maltreatment experiences in sport, sport organizations have faced increased pressures to combat unsafe practices in sport. A consequence has been the emergence of the Safe Sport movement whereby organizations including the International Olympic Committee, Safe Sport...

Researchers have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on athletes’ experiences, however, there remains a lack of attention examining the impact of the pandemic on coaches’ experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine Ontario sport coaches’ perspectives on the implications of the pandemic on their experiences. As part of...

The practice of benching players or removing playing time is commonly used in sport. Although benching is used to adhere to game rules related to the number of athletes permitted on the field of play at any given time or to provide athletes with rest breaks, athletes have reportedly experienced benching in response to behavioral infractions such as...

In this study, we explored the experiences of body shaming as a form of emotional abuse and the effects of these experiences. The reported findings represent a secondary analysis conducted of data gleaned from a study exploring the long-term effects of emotional abuse of 8 female National Team athletes in aesthetic sports. Semi-structured interview...

This study assessed the prevalence of maltreatment experienced by Canadian National Team athletes. In total, 995 athletes participated in this study, including current athletes and athletes who had retired in the past 10 years. An anonymous online survey was administered, consisting of questions about experiences of psychological, physical, and sex...

Although the cancer role is becoming increasingly studied within sports psychology research, there is a dearth of applied interventions for improving the negative consequences caused by the cancer role. Using insights from a previous pilot project drawing on Canadian interuniversity athletes’ stories of a staff cancer and recommendations from athle...

Positive youth development (PYD) research in sport has often focused on the influence of coach and peer relations, yet the PYD research has been criticised for lacking sufficient theory. From a psychosocial development perspective, the nature and quality of interpersonal dynamics have a significant impact on the attainment of developmental outcomes...

Introduction Researchers have increasingly focused on the mental health of elite athletes. However, there remains a paucity of research on the mental health of elite Canadian athletes, and the prevalence of mental disorders among this population is unknown. Purpose This study evaluated the prevalence of symptoms of mental health disorders, specifi...

Abstract: The mental health (MH) of elite Canadian athletes is understudied, yet a prospective understanding of athletes’ MH could inform periodized interventions designed to target athlete MH at different times in a competitive season. The purpose of this project was to identify the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and eating disorde...

Numerous international high-profile cases of athlete abuses have led to efforts to advance what has been termed “Safe Sport.” Sport and coaching organisations are urgently designing and implementing policies, procedures, and programmes to advance a culture of safe sport. However, we posit that these endeavours are occurring without a conceptual fra...

The purpose of this inquiry was to explore Canadian competitive athletes' perspectives on their mental health care experiences using a sequential multi-method design. The overarching aims of the study were to explore athletes' self-reported reasons for seeking mental health care, their awareness of their clinician's knowledge of sport, and the impo...

Despite a vast body of research on youth sport withdrawal, our understanding of youth athletes’ withdrawal experiences is limited by an overemphasis on descriptive-quantitative methodological approaches (Crane & Temple, 2015) and models of withdrawal that are not grounded in sport stakeholders’ experiences (Gould, 1987; Lindner et al., 1991). The p...

Recent research has illustrated sport fans’ propensity to engage in public shaming practices directed at professional athletes via social media in response to athletes’ perceived norm violations. Public shaming – considered the act of expressing discontent for another’s behaviour – is demonstrated through fans’ expressed withdrawals of support, and...

Informal roles can be beneficial or detrimental to sport performance. Researchers have identified negative informal roles within sports and organisational contexts; however, exploration of these roles has been limited to athletes within sports research or staff members within organisational research. To our knowledge, negative informal roles occupi...

The negative consequences associated with punishment, highlighted by researchers in the parenting and education domains, have stimulated a shift toward more developmentally appropriate methods of behavior modification. Despite the reported negative outcomes linked with punishment use, preliminary research in sport indicates that punishment, specifi...

Public shaming – a common practice with historical roots – is defined as an individual’s public communication of disapproval or contempt for the behaviour of another individual. Previous research has explored fans’ engagement in public shaming of professional athletes in response to athletes’ transgressions and found fans withdraw support and provi...

Models of positive youth development suggest that athletes may be influenced by parent education programmes; however, there is little research examining the impact of such programmes on athlete outcomes. This study examined the impact of the Respect in Sport Parent Program on athlete outcomes among minor hockey players over three years. This study...

The development of women coaches is complex and dependent upon influences at individual, interpersonal, organisational, and sociocultural levels, as outlined by the Ecological-Intersectional Model (EIM). Mentorship is anotable strategy for supporting the development and advancement of women coaches, yet we know little about the benefits of mentorsh...

Millions of children and adolescents around the world participate in organized sport for holistic health and developmental benefits. However, for some, sport participation is characterized by experiences of maltreatment, including forms of abuse and neglect. In Canada, efforts to address and prevent maltreatment in sport have been characterized by...

Despite a significant number of coaches pursuing formal coach training through the National Coaching Certification Program in Canada each year, very few complete the entire certification process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers and facilitators that influence Canadian coaches’ decisions to acquire coaching certification. A...

This study sought to explore the long-term effects of emotionally abusive coaching on female athletes. Although the long-term effects of childhood emotional abuse are well-documented in the child abuse literature, this question has not been explored empirically in the domain of sport, an environment in which emotionally abusive coaching practices a...

Inspired by the #MeToo movement, women worldwide are coming forward to publicly share their accounts of sexual violence. These harmful experiences have been reported in a range of domains, including sport. As such, providing safe sport experiences for athletes is at the forefront of current discussions for all stakeholders in the sport environment,...

Dropout is the term used by researchers and policy makers when referring to youth leaving or withdrawing from sport participation. To-date, the predominant use of quantitative approaches to researching dropout has limited our understanding of sport stakeholders’ experiences and whether or not researchers’ and stakeholders’ perspectives of the dropo...

Female coaches continue to be underrepresented in the coaching domain despite remarkable strides made in female athlete participation. To develop, support, and advance female coaches, mentorship initiatives have been widely recommended. Positive outcomes have been reported in nonsport literature for the professional advancement of women through men...

Women remain underrepresented in the coaching domain across various levels of sport both in Canada and internationally. Despite the use of mentorship as a key strategy to support female coaches, little progress has been seen in achieving parity. At the same time, greater advances in gender equity have occurred in other non-sport sectors such as bus...

Elite athletes may be as likely as members of the general population to experience mental disorders (Gorczynski, Coyle, & Gibson, 2017; Moesch et al., 2018), and there has recently been a surge of research examining mental health among athletes (Rice et al., 2016). This paper provides an overview and commentary of the literature on the mental healt...

In their instructive article, authors Elaine Cook and Gretchen Kerr successfully hit a number of the Journal benchmarks. Notably, they break new ground in introducing a provocative concept that challenges coaches to step outside traditional coaching methodology and explore what they call “synergistic communication”. In the coaching context, this me...

The recent, highly publicized cases of maltreatment of athletes have garnered critical attention by the public at large and stakeholders in sport, alike. For many, these cases threaten popular views that sport contributes in important ways to positive youth development. The growing evidence showing that maltreatment occurs to youth sport participan...

The growth of social media has provided sports fans with unprecedented access to information about celebrity athletes’ personal and professional lives and the means to communicate to them. To date, fan-athlete interactions on social media have often been viewed as positive, with cited benefits of heightened interpersonal relationships and team supp...

The purpose of the study was to explore interuniversity student-athletes’ experiences with bullying victimisation. Eleven female athletes from a range of individual and team sports volunteered to be interviewed about their personal experiences as targets and witnesses of bullying behaviours from their teammates. The interviews elicited stories that...

Efforts to ensure the welfare of athletes have long existed in sport but have heightened recently across numerous countries in response to shocking revelations of sexual abuse in sport. Cases such as the sexual abuse of female gymnasts by a team doctor in the U.S. and sexual abuse of male footballers by a coach in the U.K. have drawn significant at...

Given the limited research on bullying among post-secondary students and within settings outside of school, this exploratory study investigated the bullying and cyber bullying experiences of post-secondary student athletes in intercollegiate athletic contexts. An online exploratory survey assessed experiences of victimization, perpetration, and wit...

Recent cases of sexual abuse of athletes have drawn significant concern amongst stakeholders in sport and the public at-large. The fact that the perpetrators in many cases of athlete abuse had numerous victims over the span of several years raises questions of who might have known or suspected that athletes were being harmed. Sexual abuse cases sho...

This study examined athletes’ experiences of punishment in competitive hockey and the potential influence of these experiences on their decisions to cease participation in the sport. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 former female and male competitive hockey athletes, 18–19 years of age. Data were analysed using inductive thematic a...

Support providers may experience positive and negative outcomes associated with supporting others. However, there is a lack of research on support provision to elite athletes and the views of athletes' support providers. This study addressed this gap by exploring the experiences of providing and receiving support between female Olympians and their...

When sport participation reaches competitive levels, it can become entangled with stressors such as injury, performance pressures, high internal and external expectations, and difficult retirement transitions. Retirement can leave individuals vulnerable to experiencing mental health challenges, particularly when an athlete has developed a strong at...

Objectives Anecdotal evidence suggests that youth may experience negative outcomes when benched, such as a lack of fun and intentions to quit (Frank, 2013; O' Sullivan, 2015). In the sport of ice hockey, it is speculated that amongst position players, including goalies, forwards, and defenders, the negative effects of benching may be exacerbated fo...

This study examined the use of punitive coaching strategies in youth sport and the nature of these experiences for youth athletes. Semi-structured interviews and concept maps were conducted with 12 competitive male and female hockey athletes 11–13 years of age. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results revealed that punishments...

The educational benefits of embedding hands-on experience in higher education curriculum are widely recognized (Beard & Wilson, 2013). However, to optimize the learning from these opportunities, they need to be grounded in empirical learning theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of internships in Ontario colleges and...

This study sought to explore student–athletes’ experiences of bullying on intercollegiate teams. Eight team captains, five males and three females, were interviewed about their own experiences with bullying as well as their perceptions of the experiences of their teammates as victims, perpetrators, and onlookers of bullying. The findings revealed t...

This exploratory study sought to examine the use of exercise as punishment in sport. Despite the existence of numerous policies that condone the use of exercise as punishment in sport and physical education settings, anecdotal evidence suggests it continues to be used as a coaching and teaching practice. To-date, very few studies have studied this...

This study examined film portrayals of coach–athlete interactions in 19 popular, North American, sport films, with a focus on emotional abuse within the coach–athlete relationship. Using a confirmatory thematic approach, themes within the films were coded deductively relative to pre-determined categories derived from previous literature on athletes...

CE GUIDE SE VEUT UNE RESSOURCE POUR AMÉLIORER L’APPRENTISSAGE ET LE PERFECTIONNEMENT DES ÉTUDIANTS AUX ÉTUDES SUPÉRIEURES PAR DES EXPÉRIENCES DE TRAVAIL STRUCTURÉES.

THIS GUIDE IS INTENDED TO SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH THE STRUCTURED WORK EXPERIENCE.

The majority of body image research has failed to measure what occurs beyond the immediate presentation of a body image threat, or after a body image threat is no longer present. This is particularly true for physiological outcomes. The present study examined psychological and cortisol responses to, and recovery from, a body composition assessment...

The purpose of this study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives on the personal development student-athletes experience through interuniversity sport. Additionally, it explored the ways in which coaches understand, enable, and facilitate the personal development of student-athletes. Eight in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with...

The landscape of sport with Canadian universities is shifting rapidly to reflect an emphasis on high performance models and a concomitant prioritization of performance outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore coaches’ perspectives of the meaning and implications of high performance sport models in Canadian universities. In-depth, semi-str...