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Youth sport parenting styles and practices
Nicholas L Holt1, Katherine A Tamminen, Danielle E Black
1Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology
|March 28, 2009
Summary
This study explored parenting styles in youth sports, finding that autonomy-supportive parents foster open communication and child involvement. Controlling parents, however, showed less sensitivity and more closed communication, impacting young athletes.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Sports Psychology
- Sociology of Sport
Background:
- Parenting styles significantly influence child development and behavior.
- Youth sports provide a unique context for observing parent-child interactions.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for athlete well-being and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine parenting styles and practices within the youth sport environment.
- To analyze how different parenting approaches affect young athletes.
- To investigate the interplay between parents and children in competitive youth sport settings.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing season-long fieldwork.
- Primary data collected through interviews with 56 parents.
- Interviews with 34 female children supplemented parent data.
- Data analysis guided by Grolnick's (2003) theory of parenting styles.
Main Results:
- Autonomy-supportive parents demonstrated effective structure, decision-making involvement, mood sensitivity, and bidirectional communication.
- Controlling parents exhibited a lack of autonomy support, mood insensitivity, and closed communication patterns.
- Inconsistencies in parenting styles between mothers and fathers were observed.
- Parenting practices varied depending on the specific situation.
- Children exhibited reciprocal influences on their parents' behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Parenting styles in youth sports range from autonomy-supportive to controlling, with distinct impacts on children.
- Parental communication and sensitivity are key components of effective youth sport parenting.
- The parent-child relationship in sports is dynamic, with children influencing parental behavior.
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