Kids Speak

Abstract

News reports (e.g., Abrams, 2008) and scholarly research (e.g., Wiersma & Fifer, 2005) have indicated increasing concern that parent-spectator behavior at youth sport events may be problematic. Multiple strategies have been used to influence spectator behavior in youth sport contexts (e.g., “Silent Sundays”). However, it is unlikely that interventions aimed at changing parent-spectator behaviors have adequately considered young athletes' perspectives, because little is known about how children want parents to behave during youth sport events. Therefore, children (ages 7–14 years) were asked to describe how parents actually behaved at youth sport events and how they wanted parents to behave. Through grounded theory analysis (Charmaz, 2000), three parent “roles” emerged from the data—supportive parent, demanding coach, and crazed fan.

Key words:

• child preferences
• fans
• spectators

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jens Omli

We thank Marceil Whitney, Mathew Buman, and Reed Steele for assistance with the Kids Speak project, as well as Dan Gould, Marty Ewing, and Tara Scanlan for helpful comments regarding earlier versions of the manuscript. This study was part of a dissertation completed by the first author while he was a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota. Some data were presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology in Miami, FL. Please address correspondence concerning this article to Jens Omli, Department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409.