Managing More Than Just Athletes: Impression Management Among Canadian High-Performance Sport Coaches

Abstract

While existing data provides a snapshot of the lack of diversity in sport coaching, there remain gaps in understanding the experiences of individuals who are struggling to work as coaches in the Canadian high-performance sport system because of their racialized and gendered identities. This study aims to address these gaps by examining the experiences of racialized and/or women sport coaches working in Canadian high-performance sport and how they may engage in impression management. Impression management (Goffman, 1959) is defined as how individuals attempt to influence how they are perceived by others. Guided by intersectionality, phenomenology and utilizing semi-structured interviews, this study highlights eight interviews to examine how race and gender shape their self-presentation strategies. Findings reveal that impression management was strategic and deeply internalized, creating tensions between professionalism and authenticity. The insights deepen our understandings of identity, power, and belonging and how structural conditions can shape minoritized coaches’ daily lives.