Characterizing the formulation of a coach education program for teaching life skills through the behavior change wheel

Coaches play an essential role in the development of sports skills and life skills. To support these outcomes, coach education programs are frequently formulated, but promoting effective behavioral changes in coaches remains a challenge. In this context, the Behavior Change Wheel can be a useful tool for characterizing coach education programs, highlighting how well they are designed to promote the essential components for behavior change. This study characterized a program aimed at training coaches to teach life skills in a Brazilian multi-sport club, although it also analyzed the organizational processes involved in its conception. Institutional documents were examined, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five managers involved in the formulation of the program. The thematic analysis allowed for the identification of categories associated with the components of the Behavior Change Wheel. The results demonstrate that the model can be used to characterize coach education programs, highlighting their strengths and limitations in promoting behavioral changes. The findings emphasize the importance of careful planning and suggest that future research investigate the effectiveness of these initiatives, contributing to the development of more effective strategies in coach education.