Author(s): SPROGE, E., REIHMANE, D., ZOLOVS, M., KLAVINA, A., Institution: RĪGA STRADIŅŠ UNIVERSITY, Country: LATVIA, Abstract-ID: 532

Introduction
While sport science has the potential to enhance athletic performance and improve the training process, the integration of evidence-based knowledge into coaching practice in Latvia remains limited. This study aimed to identify distinct psychological profiles of sport coaches based on perceived benefits of sport science and subjectively experienced barriers to their implementation in the training process.
Methods
A total of 224 sport coaches from Latvia (104 women; 120 men; age range 20-77 years), representing 35 sports, participated in the study. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was conducted to examine the underlying dimensional structure. Components were retained based on eigenvalues greater than 1.0 and scree plot inspection. The resulting factor scores were used for cluster analysis, with the optimal number of clusters determined using the Silhouette method and the Within-Cluster Sum of Squares (WCSS). Differences between clusters in age and coaching experience were assessed using ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis H test, while differences in gender, educational attainment, and coaching license category were analysed using Pearson's chi-square test.
Results
PCA identified four components explaining 57.5% of the variance. The dominant component (22.4%) reflected perceived practical benefits of sport science, while the remaining components represented (PC2) individual barriers and lack of knowledge, (PC3) infrastructure and material resources, and (PC4) organisational climate and colleagues’ attitudes. Cluster analysis revealed three coach psychological profiles: (1) coaches sceptical of the practical value of sport science, (2) coaches with positive attitudes but substantial personal constraints, and (3) coaches characterised by high perceived benefits and low levels of constraints. No significant differences were found between clusters in age, professional experience, educational level, or license category (p > 0.05).
Conclusion
Latvian sports coaches’ attitudes toward sport science are primarily shaped by perceived practical benefits and personal barriers to implementation. The identified coach profiles reveal a mismatch between positive attitudes toward sport science and its application in practice. These attitudes are independent of demographic and professional characteristics, reflecting distinct psychological patterns of perceived behavioural capacity.