Abstract
[Excerpt] Research indicates "having fun" is a frequently cited reason athletes give for participating in sport, and "lack of fun" is a motive for sport dropout (Coakley, 2008). According to the Youth Sports National Report Card (Citizens through Sport Alliance, 2005), sport has lost its child-centered focus. An understanding of track and field coaches' perceptions about what they emphasize and how they behave is needed to develop interventions to promote appropriate behaviors in the sport environment.