Sport has the potential to foster the development of life skills, such as initiative, teamwork, emotion regulation, and goal setting, that transcend the fields and courts on which youth participate (Danish, Forneris, Hodge, & Heke, 2004). However, it is often acknowledged that this growth does not occur on its own. One factor that plays a central role in shaping positive sport experiences is the coach (Hellison & Cutforth, 1997). The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature on coaching strategies considered best practices for life skills development as well as to provide illustrative examples of many of these practices garnered from a case study of a model coach and the strategies he used in his high school tennis program. The paper concludes with additional practical considerations and recommendations for practitioners, coach educators, and scholars who continue to add to the body of knowledge regarding a coach’s role in positive youth development.

This review examines the extant literature advocating for enhanced self-compassion as an accessible means to foster psychological well-being (e.g., reduced self-criticism, rumination, and anxiety symptom; enhanced hope, emotion regulation, self-acceptance, self-efficacy). The case for athletes as a special population who can benefit from strengthening this asset is made; Compassion-Focused Imagery (CFI) is introduced as an effective tool for developing self-compassion; and a case scenario and sample CFI script are presented. Gaps in the current understanding of and empirical investigations of CFI use in athletes are identified, along with unique challenges the sport context provides for self-compassion-focused interventions.