Brief Expertise Scale for Sports Coaching (BESSC)

Abstract

The Brief Expertise Scale for Sports Coaching (BESSC; Kennedy, Dux, & Mallett, 2023) is a self-report instrument designed to assess sports coaching expertise, defined as the sustained capacity for high effectiveness within a specific sports coaching context (Lyle & Cushion, 2017). This measure addresses a gap in existing tools for evaluating sports coaching expertise. Its development involved creating an initial pool of items based on a conceptual model of sports coaching expertise and input from experienced researchers and practitioners in the field. These items underwent workshops to refine their content and scope, followed by pilot testing with a targeted group of sports coaches. Content validity was subsequently evaluated by seasoned sports coaching researchers. The BESSC was administered to sports coaches in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, a bifactor S1-1 model emerged, comprising one general expertise factor and three specific factors, encompassing a total of 12 items. The study also reported on the reliability of the scale.

Keywords

Experience and Engagement, Knowledge, Skills and Attributes, Sports Coaches, Sports Coaching Expertise

Authors

Kennedy, Andrew; Dux, Paul E.; Mallett, Clifford J.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the Brief Expertise Scale for Sports Coaching (BESSC) is to measure a coach’s level of expertise.

Validity

No data is Available.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The general expertise factor of the BESSC demonstrated high reliability, with an omega (ω) value of 0.93. The specific factors also exhibited moderate to good reliability: experience and engagement (ωs = 0.77), skills and attributes (ωs = 0.88), and knowledge (ωs = 0.87).

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA): EFA conducted on the BESSC data revealed an initial four-factor solution. This model explained 74.40% of the total variance in the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and 63.89% in the Maximum Likelihood (ML) analysis.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): Initial multivariate analysis of the 12-item, 4-factor model indicated a high correlation (0.96) between the skills and attributes factors. Subsequent post hoc models suggested that a 12-item, 3-factor model might be more appropriate. A bifactor S1-1 model demonstrated a good fit to the data, as evidenced by the following fit indices: χ²(40) = 52.612, p = 0.087, GFI = 0.954, AGFI = 0.911, TLI = 0.981, CFI = 0.989, RMSEA = 0.043 (CI = 0.000–0.071), and AIC = 128.612. This indicates that the bifactor S1-1 model, comprising one general expertise factor and three specific factors, adequately fit the observed data. A model comparison using the likelihood ratio test further confirmed that the bifactor S1-1 model significantly outperformed the second-order model (△χ²(△df) = 49.60 (12), p ≤ 0.001, power ≥ 0.99).

Instrument: Brief Expertise Scale for Sports Coaching (BESSC)

Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire.
Format: All items are scored on a seven-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (extremely low) to 7 (extremely high). The administration method is electronic. The scale consists of 12 items.
Language Available: English.
Population Group: Human (Male and Female).
Age Group: Adulthood (18 years and older), including Young Adulthood (18-29 years), Thirties (30-39 years), Middle Age (40-64 years), and Aged (65 years and older).
Population Details: The study participants were sports coaches located in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Test Methodology: The methodology involved various psychometric evaluations including Test Validity, Content Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis (Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis), and Principal Component Analysis.

Keywords

Experience and Engagement, Knowledge, Skills and Attributes, Sports Coaches, Sports Coaching Expertise

Authors

Andrew Kennedy

• Author ORCID Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8011-044X

• Affiliation: School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland

• Email Address: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: [email protected]

Paul E. Dux

• Affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Queensland

• Email Address: No data is Available

Clifford J. Mallett

• Affiliation: School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland

• Email Address: No data is Available

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Contact Corresponding Author.
Fee: No fee is required for the use of this instrument.
Test Year: 2023.

References

Kennedy, A., Dux, P. E., & Mallett, C. J. (2023). Development of the Brief Expertise Scale for Sports Coaching. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 18(5), 1381–1394. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541231188192

Items of the Brief Expertise Scale for Sports Coaching (BESSC)

The Brief Expertise Scale for Sports Coaching (BESSC) consists of 12 items. The specific items are not provided in the given text, but they were developed to reflect key components of sports coaching expertise identified in a conceptual model and through feedback from experienced researchers and practitioners. The scale’s factors are:

• Experience and engagement

• Knowledge

• Skills and attributes