Collegiate Male Athlete Attitudes Toward Male and Female Strength and Conditioning Coaches.

Abstract: Taylor, K, and Little, SJ. Collegiate male athlete attitudes toward male and female strength and conditioning coaches. J Strength Cond Res 39(2): 277-280, 2025-Sports have long been male dominated, but there have been recent increases in the involvement of women in athletic administration and athlete support, that is, strength and conditioning. However, more is needed to know about the attitudes of male athletes toward female strength and conditioning coaches (SCCs) in the collegiate setting. This study aimed to determine differences in male student-athlete attitudes toward male and female SCCs and the factors associated with these perceptions. Male student-athletes (n = 89) volunteered to complete a survey that included the Modified Attitude of Athletes toward Male versus Female Coaches questionnaire and demographic information. Data were analyzed using t tests and one-way analysis of variance as appropriate, with an alpha level set at 0.05. Subjects reported more positive attitudes toward male SCCs (105.74 ± 19.34) than female SCCs (101.96 ± 22.68; p = 0.02, η2 = 0.24). There were no differences in perceptions because of year in school (p = 0.74, d = 0.02) or history of female mentors (p = 0.05, d = 0.49). However, male student-athletes with "extremely close" maternal relationships (104.98 ± 23.15) reported more favorable perceptions of female SCCs than those with less close relationships (96.25 ± 22.71; p = 0.049, d = 0.41). Findings from the study suggest that male student-athletes perceive male SCCs more positively than female SCCs. Factors such as previous relationships and mentors may influence these perceptions; however, further research is needed in a more diverse sample. Understanding these differential attitudes may help coaches and athletes improve relationship dynamics between male student-athletes and female SCCs. Future research should focus on strengthening these relationships to optimize training in collegiate settings.