A multilevel mediation analysis of coaches’ life skills coaching, caring climate, and the development and transfer of life skills in student-athletes

Sport provides a powerful platform for fostering life skills that can be applied out of sport contexts. Among the factors influencing this process, coaches’ life skills coaching and the perceived caring climate play a critical role. This study examined the multilevel relationships among coaches’ life skills coaching, student-athletes’ perceptions of a caring climate, life skills development, and transfer using a multilevel mediation model. Participants were 431 student-athletes from 28 Korean school sport teams (including a coach from each team). Coaches reported on their life skills coaching practices, while athletes assessed the caring climate, life skills development, and transfer. Multilevel mediation analysis was conducted to capture both within- and between-team effects. Results showed that coaches’ life skills coaching positively influenced athletes’ perceived caring climate and life skills development. Life skills development significantly predicted transfer and mediated the effect of coaching on transfer. However, the caring climate did not significantly mediate this relationship and showed a negative effect at the group level. These findings emphasize the indirect yet vital role of life skills coaching in promoting transfer and highlight the need for intentional, development-focused coaching strategies. Multilevel modeling offers a more precise understanding of how coaching influences athletes’ development within sport environments.