Long‐term effects of basic coach education on ice hockey coaches' beliefs and use of need‐supportive behaviors

Abstract The long‐term impact of education on sport coaches' interpersonal behaviors remains unclear. In this longitudinal study ( N = 52) we examined one‐year changes in ice hockey coaches' use of need‐supportive behaviors following a two‐day basic coach education both shortly after the intervention and one year later. Coaches reported effectiveness, easy‐to‐implement, and normative beliefs about need support and their use of autonomy, competence, and relatedness support at baseline, 1.5 weeks (T2), 3 weeks (T3), and 12 months (T4). Bayesian linear mixed effects models estimated changes in each outcome over time. Posterior estimates indicated increases for competence support (Δ = 0.20, 95% CI [0.04, 0.36]; g = 0.52) and autonomy support (Δ = 0.35, 95% CI [0.08, 0.63]; g = 0.48) between baseline and T3. Between baseline and T4, the posterior estimates suggested a decrease only for competence support (Δ = −0.21, 95% CI [−0.39, −0.03]; g = −0.12). No other posterior estimates meaningfully differed from zero across time. Overall, the coaches' need‐supportive behaviors improved shortly after training but were not sustained over one year to the next competitive season. Findings underscore the value of post‐training reinforcement (e.g., booster sessions, flexible digital tools) to support maintenance of learned behaviors in practice.