MPOWER: An observation system for assessing coach autonomy support in high school varsity boys' soccer practices

Substantial focus in coaching science has turned to the construct of autonomy support, given mounting evidence of its positive role in athlete motivation and performance. However, existing research is mostly limited to perceptions data, which problematizes its translation to coach education, training, and development. This paper describes the development of an observation system (MPOWER) for coding coach autonomy support. MPOWER was designed for use within high school varsity boys' soccer practices as part of a larger study. Grounded in self-determination theory literature and guided by recommendations for developing contextually valid observation systems, the instrument includes six behavior concepts: moves decision-making (M), prompts for questions and feelings (P), opts to use player idea (O), withholds information to guide response (W), empathizes with negative affect (E), and rationalizes (R). MPOWER yields descriptive information for research on autonomy supportive coaching, as well as coach education and development.