“Changing the game”: Using arts-based methods to explore gender and psychosocial development from the perspectives of Canadian Girls Baseball junior coaches

Mikayla McEwan, Corliss Bean

Baseball is often considered to be a sport dominated by men, offering limited opportunities and safe spaces for girl-identifying youth to engage in the sport. The experiences of girl-identifying athletes are typically overlooked within sport which can foster sport culture that promotes masculine norms, perpetuates power dynamics, and increases dropout. Canadian Girls Baseball is a women-led organization offering all-girls programming and intentional leadership opportunities for youth to remain in sport and give back to the organization as junior coaches. The purpose of this study was to explore junior coaches’ experiences within this role as it relates to gender and psychosocial development. Seven junior coaches took part in a research-based workshop where they created a personal meaning map about their experiences as junior coaches. Following this, participants engaged in a focus group with the goal of self-reflection and shared learning. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Participants shared how lack of representation of women in leadership positions in baseball, and sport more generally, led to them feeling empowered in their role and capable of positively impacting their players’ lives. Moreover, they highlighted often experiencing gender inequalities in baseball through power imbalances, resulting in them developing strategies to advocate for themselves and manage gendered pushback. Finally, participants acknowledged how crucial a girl-centred sport environment can be for fostering a sense of belonging and increasing confidence to navigate life outside of sport. These findings demonstrate the importance of sport organizations creating safe and supportive girls-only sport environments that include leadership opportunities.