Findings from the Million Coaches Challenge Implementation Study
The MCC Implementation Study reveals how Partners are transforming youth sports by training coaches in youth development practices and aligning on a shared standard for what makes a “good” coach.
Winning Beyond the Game
A well-trained coach can transform a young athlete’s experience—building confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love for the game. Yet, across the U.S., coaching remains fragmented and under-supported, with no national standards guiding training. The Million Coaches Challenge Partners set out to change that, reaching a historic milestone in fall 2025: one million coaches trained in youth development.
Findings from the MCC Implementation Study, led by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), show that training delivered meaningful results for coaches:
✔ Nearly 90% of coaches reported increased knowledge and confidence in supporting athletes’ life skills and building strong relationships
✔ About 89% felt more confident creating inclusive environments
✔ More than 85% gained confidence in supporting mental health
✔ 88% said training made them better coaches
Additionally, coaches reported improvements in athlete experience following training:
✔ 66% observed more joy in sport
✔ 62% saw stronger peer relationships
✔ 72% believed athletes were more likely to stay in sport
In addition to training over 1 million coaches, MCC Partners established a shared definition of what it means to be a good coach. The MCC Practice Guide identifies 12 core coaching practices that prioritize relationship-building, athlete well-being, and inclusive coaching. These evidence-based strategies give coaches practical tools they can use right away, no matter the sport, age of their athletes, or experience level.
What’s Next? Five Key Actions for the Youth Sports Field
The MCC Implementation Study highlights critical actions to strengthen youth sports:
- Define and adopt a national standard for what it means to be a “good” coach
- Ensure coach training reflects best practices in youth development
- Expand access to high-quality, comprehensive training
- Invest in policy and funding to professionalize coaching
- Improve research and measurement of coaching effectiveness
The Calls to Action Statement builds on this momentum, offering a clear path forward shaped by years of collaboration to address systemic barriers to quality coaching across four areas: insights, narrative, organizational practice, and policy.
About the MCC Implementation Study
The MCC implementation study is led by the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) in collaboration with the MCC Partners. The study was designed to track coaches trained through the MCC while elevating Partner insights, documenting their journeys, analyzing training offerings, and exploring the influence of trainings on coaches. The implementation study uses a mixed-methods approach, with multiple methods and data sources, including analysis of Partner training participation and demographic data, a coach perception survey, annual interviews with MCC Partners, and a comprehensive document review of Partner training materials.
The MCC Implementation Study documents the reach and influence of one of the largest efforts to train youth coaches in the United States, reaching more than one million coaches in evidence-based youth development practices.
Drawing on one of the most extensive data sets on youth coaches to date, the findings show that training changes how coaches show up and what becomes possible when coaching is supported through a more connected system.
The Empower Every Coach grant represents the next phase of MCC’s work, funding high-impact, systems-level projects that advance the MCC Calls to Action.