Parental Involvement In Sport Research Articles

The Effects of Parents’ and Their Children’s Characteristics on Parental Involvement in Sport

The present study explored factors potentially influencing parental involvement. A total of 1260 parents ( Mage = 43.54, SD = 5.10) completed an online form including demographic questions, questions on their children’s sport participation, and three self-report measures (Parental Involvement in Sport Questionnaire (PISQ), Competitive State Anxiety Inventory 2 (CSAI-2), and Perceived Autonomy Support Scale for Exercise Setting (PASSES)). Possible predictors of the four assessed types of parental involvement were tested with hierarchical linear regression models. The significant predictors were the parent’s gender, her/his sporting experience (or the lack thereof), and the child’s current stage of sport participation. Furthermore, significant associations were found between directive parental behavior and state anxiety and between parental praise/understanding and autonomy support, which were independent of the parent’s gender and sporting experience, and of the child’s age and sport injuries. The obtained results expand the existing knowledge of the complexity of parents’ importance in children’s sport career.

Relación entre la participación de los padres y el compromiso deportivo de futbolistas juveniles

The present study evaluates the forms of parental participation and their relationship with the current and future sports commitment towards sports practice, from the perception of soccer players belonging to club formations in the city of Quito. The sample is made up of 100 male adolescents between the ages of 12 and 14. The instrument used is based on the Spanish versions of the Questionnaire on Parental Involvement in Sport and the Scale of Degree of Commitment to Sport. The results show that when there is parental participation, especially with demonstrations of support and understanding, this favors the satisfaction and fun of the youth soccer players, influencing their current commitment to sports practice.

Parental involvement and children’s enjoyment in sport

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to examine children’s preferences for parental involvement that enhances their enjoyment in sport, and; 2) to identify the factors that facilitate or prevent parents from being involved in the ways preferred by children. Utilising an interpretive descriptive methodology, the study was conducted in two stages. First, focus groups with 31 children (8–12 years, M = 9.39) involved in field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, swimming, and tennis were conducted. Second, 26 parents participated in focus groups, during which they reviewed the results of stage one and explained whether they could or could not engage in the desired ways. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Overall, four preferences for parental involvement to enhance children’s sporting enjoyment were developed: 1) show you care about your child’s sport by facilitating and prioritising participation; 2) listen and learn from your child to ensure you can engage in informed conversations; 3) understand and support your child’s pre, during, and post competition preferences; and 4) support and recognise your child beyond their sport. The extent to which parents were able to engage in the manner children preferred was influenced by personal, social, and environmental/contextual considerations. The results illustrate the complexity of parental involvement in sport, and the importance of clubs and sports organisations understanding children’s and parents’ experiences when educating parents on appropriate involvement.

Perceptions of Parenting Practices and Psychological Variables of Elite and Sub-Elite Youth Athletes

Drawing from the model of parental involvement in sport, the overall purpose was to examine the associations of perceptions of parenting practices (encouragement, reinforcement, instruction, and role modeling) and athletes’ psychological variables (self-efficacy, social self-efficacy, self-regulation, and intrinsic motivation) of elite and sub-elite youth athletes. Participants were elite (n = 210) and sub-elite (n = 635) athletes aged between 14 and 18 years (Mage = 16.58, SD = 1.33). Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that young elite athletes’ perceptions of sport-related parenting practices are associated with their psychological skills and performance level in sport. Specifically, in comparison with their sub-elite peers, perceptions of parental encouragement had a significantly different strong effect on intrinsic motivation. Moreover, perceptions of parental modeling revealed different effects on performance level, as well as on intrinsic motivation, and self-regulation. These perceptions of parenting practices may promote a positive learning environment, resulting in an increased likelihood of achieving a high level of sport performance in comparison with their sub-elite peers.

Parental involvement in sport and the satisfaction of basic psychological needs: Perspectives from parent–child dyads

In early adolescence, parents generally retain a high level of influence in their children’s lives but as they get older, children typically look to gain more autonomy over decision-making and parents’ role gradually shifts to that of support. The purpose of the study was to examine parents’ and children’s perspectives on how parental involvement in sport influences basic psychological needs satisfaction. Basic psychological needs theory (BPNT) was used as a theoretical framework. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight parent–child dyads in Canada. Dyads were composed of eight athletes (three males, five females, M age  = 14.0 years; SD = 1.32, age range: 12–16 years) and eight parents (six males, two females, M age  = 44.0 years; SD = 5.96, age range: 36–53 years). Results from the deductive-inductive thematic analysis indicated how parental behaviours within the sporting environment were generally believed to satisfy athletes’ basic psychological needs, although needs frustration was also reported. Results are presented in a dyadic format, with instances of convergence and divergence in perspective between parents and their children revealed. Theoretical implications are discussed and applied recommendations are provided.

Young people’s experiences of parental involvement in youth sport

ABSTRACTRecently parental involvement in youth sport has intensified, challenging the understanding of youth sports as an arena where adolescents can develop their identity and autonomy. On this background, our study explores how adolescents understand and negotiate their parents’ involvement in sport and how they define ideal and undesirable forms of parental involvement. Our empirical setting is Norway, and we draw on data from 16 focus group interviews among 13–14-year-olds (n = 92) recruited from two lower secondary schools. The analysis shows that young people distinguish between different aspects of the sport activity when defining ideal and undesirable forms of parental involvement. When discussing sport as a healthy activity necessary for physical and social development, the young people interviewed approve of parents’ role in regulating and encouraging participation. When considering the athletic aspects and peer sociability, however, they see parental involvement as mostly undesirable. The analysis also shows that the adolescents generally describe their parents as attentive to the boundaries their children draw for them about levels and types of involvement. Therefore, young people should be seen not only as subjected to parental involvement but also as active co-constructors of valid parental roles in and beyond the sporting arena.

During play, the break, and the drive home: the meaning of parental verbal behaviour in youth sport

Problems surrounding parental involvement in youth sport have received much attention in the international academic community. Most of the focus has surrounded the frequency and nature of parental verbal behaviour such as criticism, swearing and abuse. While such behaviour has the potential to exert a negative influence in youth sport, little is known about the socially constructed meaning of parental verbal behaviour. In other words, there is a current lack of understanding surrounding the social significance (or lack thereof) of parental comments, criticisms and abuse in the context of youth sport. Addressing this oversight is important given that parents and youth do not always share a common appreciation of parental involvement in sport. This paper reports on a study which sought to generate a greater understanding of parental involvement in the junior Australian football experience. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with parents and youth participants (n = 86) currently involved in a competitive Australian football season. Data were manually transcribed verbatim and subjected to a thematic analysis. The findings reveal how parents and youth attribute different social meaning to parental verbal behaviour during play, the breaks and the drive home. While youth appear to experience parental verbal behaviour in polarising ways, parents rationalise their own verbal behaviour and in doing so, contribute to a broader social reproduction of sport parenting behaviour.

Parental Involvement in Sport: Psychometric Development and Empirical Test of a Theoretical Model

The purposes of the present multistudy were to develop and provide initial construct validity for measures based on the model of parental involvement in sport (Study 1) and examine structural relationships among the constructs of the model (Study 2). In Study 1 (n parents  = 342, n athletes  = 223), a confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the psychometric properties of the measures. Content and construct validity were evaluated, as well individual and composite reliability. Multi-group analysis with two independent samples provided evidence of factorial invariance. In Study 2 (n parents  = 754, n athletes  = 438), structural equation modeling analysis supported the hypothesised model in which athletes’ perceptions of parents’ behaviours mediated the relationship between parents’ reported behaviours and the athletes’ psychological variables conducive to their achievement in sport. The findings provide support for the parental involvement in sport model and demonstrate the role of perceptions of parents’ behaviours on young athletes’ cognitions in sport.

Perception of purpose and parental involvement in competitive youth sport

<b>Background</b><br /> Because of the various demanding investments, parents develop various expectations regarding their children’s sport experience. The purposes of this study were twofold: (a) to determine whether there is a discrepancy between parents and athletes in terms of perception of purpose for engaging in youth sport, and (b) to explore whether the reported discrepancies impact parental involvement.<br /> <br /> <b>Participants and procedure</b><br /> Participants included 25 club level athletes (19 girls, 6 boys), ages 13-17 (M = 14.96 years, SD = 1.49 years), and 24 pa­rents (18 women, 6 men) of these athletes, ages 39-55 (M = 48.26 years, SD = 4.44 years) from both individual and team sports. Parents and athletes completed their respective versions of both the Participation Motivation Questionnaire (PMQ) and Parental Involvement in Sport Questionnaire (PISQ). Optional individual interviews with 12 athletes and 12 parents were then conducted to further triangulate perceptions of purpose and parental involvement in youth sport.<br /> <br /> <b>Results</b><br /> Findings included four statistically significant negative correlations between the PMQ and PISQ, as well as a statistically significant discrepancy between parents and athletes on one subscale of the PMQ (p = .026). Also, statistically significant discrepancies were found between perceived and desired levels of parental involvement on three out of four subscales of the PISQ (there are 3 exact p-values since there were significant discrepancies for 3 out of the 4 subscales. They are: Directive Behavior: p < .001, Praise and Understanding: p = .042 and Pressure: p = .025).<br /> <br /> <b>Conclusions</b><br /> Perceptions of parental involvement between the parents and their children were not congruent. Similarly, the parents and their children perceive why an athlete participates in sport somewhat differently. If further explored, parent-athlete relations and interactions could be improved to facilitate optimal youth sport participation.

Development of the Parents' Perception of their Involvement in their Child's Tennis Activity Questionnaire (Q‐PPICTA)

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire for assessing parents' perception of their involvement in their children's tennis activity (Q-PPICTA). The validation required four successive studies. In study 1, a preliminary version of the questionnaire was formulated after selecting and adapting items taken from existing questionnaires and interviews conducted with the parents of 36 young tennis players. Three factors for measuring parental involvement in sport were identified and retained: emotional, logistic, and informational supports. In study 2, exploratory factor analyses were performed on data collected from 214 parents of tennis players. Results attested the questionnaire's three-factor structure and ascertained its internal consistency. In study 3, a confirmatory factor analysis as well as tests on convergent and discriminant validity were carried out on data gathered from a different sample of 220 parents of tennis players. Statistics confirmed the questionnaire's three-factor structure and reliability. In study 4, the questionnaire's external construct validity was compared with another sample consisting of 192 parents and their children. Overall, results underlined satisfactory psychometric properties for the Q-PPICTA. Nevertheless, further studies are required to confirm the questionnaire's accuracy, reliability, and temporal validity.

Coaches\' perceptions of parental involvement in youth sport: a qualitative approach

Coaches' and parental involvement in youth sport offer numerous benefits; a medium through which the lives of youth can be nurtured in lessons of life and values by reducing anti-social behaviour and by enhancing their self worth through various levels of sport participation. Researchers have acknowledged the influential and overzealous role that parents play in bringing out the best in their children, a situation often detrimental for their children; a concern that suggests that parents often go beyond their role of being parents to assume a role of a coach. In addition, there have been well documented reports of instances of parents engaged in abusive, obtrusive and controlling behaviour towards sport coaches, in countries like the United States. Literature review also suggests that such trends are also permeating in developing countries like South Africa. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine coaches' perceptions of parental involvement in youth sport. A qualitative approach, which is widely used as an exploratory mechanism to gather information, was adopted to obtain information regarding parental involvement in sport. An experience survey using key informants was used to collect data at different coaching venues in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A total of 22 youth sport coaches who were four years and more in a coaching position were interviewed. Positive and negative aspects regarding parental involvement emerged from the analytical narrative of the coaches. These narratives were categorized into the following themes : expectations, support, pressure and knowledge. Whilst coaches acknowledged the instrumental role parents play in enhancing children's participation in sport, they also cautioned that parents should remain within their boundary spanning role of being parents rather than coaches in order to achieve beneficial and reciprocal outcomes for their children and their teams. Recommendations emanating from this study are provided. Whilst limited in its sample size, narratives from sport coaches do provide an emerging debate in parental involvement in sport and an antecedent for further research.