Date Approved

4-21-2025

Graduate Degree Type

Project

Degree Name

Education-Higher Education (M.Ed.)

Degree Program

Education Leadership & Counseling

First Advisor

Paul Bylsma

Academic Year

2024/2025

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are known to contribute to long-term mental, physical, and social health challenges, including depression, anxiety, injury, and early mortality (ACE Response, 2024; Felitti et al., 1998). Despite this, limited research has addressed how ACEs affect student-athletes, who often enter college already carrying unresolved trauma (Bennett, 2022, 2023). Simultaneously, the coach-athlete relationship (CAR) is recognized as a key mediating factor in student-athlete well-being, yet coaches receive little to no formal training on trauma-informed care (Mageau & Vallerand, 2003; Simons & Bird, 2022). This project bridges that gap by synthesizing ACEs research, sport psychology, and social stress frameworks to develop a practical, trauma-informed coaching resource for collegiate athletic staff. Grounded in the ACEs Lifespan Mechanisms (ACE Response, 2024), Astin’s (1984) Input-Environment-Output (IEO) Model, and Hatteberg’s (2020) adaptation of the Stress Process Model, this work reframes student-athlete performance and behavior as outcomes shaped by past experiences and coach interactions. Findings from this project reinforce that student-athlete development is deeply shaped by personal experiences, sport culture, and social support. A strong, supportive coach-athlete relationship can serve as a protective factor, reducing the negative impacts of ACEs and promoting holistic development.

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