Structured Adversity and Social Fathering in Malaysian Youth Sport: An Analytical Autoethnography of Socioeconomic Inequality and Coach–Athlete Development

Background: Youth from Malaysia’s low socioeconomic communities frequently face chronic instability, limited parental involvement, and restricted access to developmental support. Within such conditions, coaches often assume relational roles extending beyond technical instruction. Methods: This autoethnographic study draws on 20 weeks of longitudinal coaching, reflective journals, and fieldnotes to examine how the coach–athlete relationship evolved into a form of “social fathering” for one low-income youth athlete, Derrick, and how this contrasted with the developmental trajectory of Chia, an athlete from a more stable socioeconomic background. Guided by Nasheeda et al.’s three-layered narrative framework, the analysis integrates personal narrative, thematic interpretation, and sociocultural discourse. Results: Structured adversity—deliberately designed challenges embedded within a trusting relationship—served as a key mechanism for cultivating grit, resilience, and moral reasoning. Father-like practices such as boundary-setting, moral guidance, and life-navigation support compensated for socioeconomic gaps in Derrick’s home environment, whereas Chia’s growth reflected a faster transition toward self-regulated grit due to his more stable support structures. Conclusions: Coaching within disadvantaged contexts functions as relational labour that provides youths with social capital, emotional stability, and developmental resources otherwise inaccessible to them. Implications highlight the need for culturally informed coach-education programmes that integrate relational ethics, adversity-based pedagogy, and contextual awareness of poverty-related challenges.