Ninth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

For many families, sport constitutes a central role in parent-child interaction, parent-child time together, and family leisure time. Parents and coaches play the most distinct role influencing adolescent athletes. Parental involvement reflects a dedication to the child and positive attention to the child-rearing process. However, it is well known that the actions of many parents turn their children from sports. The purpose of this study was to explore parent and youth athlete relationships. Subjects (270) were college students from ten states (US) who completed a 15-item survey that included the Parental Involvement in Sport Questionnaire (PISQ) and opened ended questions. For this paper we analyzed qualitative data from three open-ended survey questions and PISQ data. For each open-ended question, major themes were identified. From this study we learned that 40% of subjects had dropped out of a youth sport; that the #1 reason for dropping out of youth sport was a change or interest; that most positive experiences young athletes have with their parents include parent presence at events, parent support during and after events, and parent encouragement; that most negative experiences youth athletes have with their parents include parent absence from events, unwelcomed coaching, and parent pressure; that the best experiences with parents after an event or game was when parents provided recognition; displayed pride, and other support; and that subjects perceive that their fathers provide more directive behavior and pressure while mothers provide more praise and understanding.