Friend, foe, or both? A retrospective exploration of sibling relationships in elite youth sport

Abstract

With the abundance of literature focusing on parental influence in sport, it is important to identify family dynamics that extend beyond parents to include siblings. In this study, sibling influence was explored through retrospective interviews with former elite youth female athletes (N = 4) and their sibling (n = 4) of the same sex who participated in the same sport. The purpose was to discover how siblings influence high performance sport participation. Two categories emerged from the data: positive experiences participating in the same sport (e.g. growth of relationship, development of understanding) and negative experiences participating in the same sport (e.g. sibling competition, emotional response). The participants’ descriptions coincide with observational learning and both deidentification and divergence processes. The data adds to the probable sibling experiences proposed in the Developmental Model of Sport Participation and provides insight on managing sibling relations in sport. Implications and practical applications of these findings are discussed.