Understanding coaches' perspectives on sport as a driver of employability-related soft skills in athletes with intellectual disabilities.

BACKGROUND

In an evolving global workforce, soft skills (personal, non-technical) are increasingly essential, yet individuals with intellectual disabilities face employment barriers. Sports participation offers a unique context to foster these skills, but coaches' awareness and strategies to support their development remain underexplored. This study aimed to explore coaches' perspectives on the role of sport in fostering soft skills among athletes with intellectual disabilities and their relevance for employability.

METHOD: Underpinned by a pragmatic paradigm, this study interviewed 30 licensed coaches working with athletes with intellectual disabilities. All from Spain and Andorra with experience in national or international competitions across different sports (i.e., basketball, futsal, swimming). Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis through an abductive lens, iteratively moving between participant narratives and existing frameworks of employability.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed that while coaches value soft skills, they demonstrate limited initial awareness of the direct link between sport and employment. Technical training is consistently prioritized over soft skills development, which is viewed as an inherent outcome of sport. Coaches identified athlete strengths and developmental gaps. These results are further analysed through four main themes: (1) sport-employability relationship; (2) soft skill development; (3) key soft skills for employment identified through sport; and (4) athletes' skill progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Coaches notice soft skill development but rarely apply explicit strategies. The identified gaps in coach awareness suggest that structured training and interventions could support coaches in intentionally cultivating these skills through their trainings, thereby enhancing the employability and social inclusion of athletes with intellectual disabilities.