Coaching is one of the most powerful influences on a young athlete’s experience. A well-trained coach can build confidence, foster resilience, and create an environment where youth thrive—not just in sports, but in life. Yet, across the U.S., coaches remain under-supported, under-trained, and fragmented. The Million Coaches Challenge (MCC) set out to change that.
As part of the launch of the MCC in 2022, and as a member of the cohort supporting it, Little LeagueÒ established its Diamond Leader Training Program to help coaches with education around their role in supporting the social and emotional well-being of children in their communities. Today, more than 140,000 coaches have completed the Diamond Leader Training Program, and each month Little League recognizes these hard-working coaches with its Diamond Leader Spotlights to showcase the importance of the training and their experiences.
Preliminary Findings from the MCC Implementation Study
New research from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) highlights the influence of coaches trained by MCC Partners and identifies critical next steps to strengthen the youth coaching system.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
- Coach training works. 93% of coaches agreed training had an influence on building their confidence, and 94% believe all coaches would benefit from having foundational training in youth development-related practices.
- Athletes benefit too. Coaches reported improvements in athlete enjoyment, relationships, and retention, with 71% of coaches believing that their participation in training made athletes more likely to return.
- Momentum is building. The MCC Partners have trained 730,985 coaches—on track to reach one million by the end of 2025.
The MCC Partners, which includes Little League, are also aligning on what it means to be a “good” coach and setting a shared standard for youth development-focused coaching. Their collective efforts are shaping the future of coaching across the country.
Take Five: Recommendations for the Youth Sport Field
Despite this progress, challenges remain. The lack of a formal coaching system, limited resources, and outdated coaching mindsets make widespread change difficult. The MCC Partners have put forward a set of recommendations that span research, practice, and policy:
- Define, operationalize, and adopt a minimum standard or framework for what it means to be a “good” coach in the United States.
- Review trainings available in the field to ensure they reflect what it means to be a “good” and “trained” coach.
- Expand access to high-quality, comprehensive training.
- Build capacity for policy implementation, professionalize coaching, and change the narrative about coaching youth sport.
- Develop a shared research-practice agenda and prioritize systematic, shared measurement efforts to understand the coaching landscape and document coach development and effectiveness.
We’re winning beyond the game—learn more about the efforts of the MCC at: MillionCoaches.org/implementation-study/. To learn more about the Diamond Leader Training Program, and to take the free course yourself, visit LittleLeague.org/DiamondLeader.