Parents' perspectives on the practice of high school sport in a Canadian context

Abstract

Although there are a number of studies that have examined youth development in organised activities, few have been conducted in sport‐specific contexts. The purpose of this study was to document parents' perspectives on the practice of high school sport in a Canadian context. A qualitative methodology was employed and 20 parents who had at least one child participating in high school sports were selected to participate in interviews. Results indicated that: (1) parents believed they emotionally, financially and/or logistically supported their children's high school sport participation and that an evolution occurred in their role as providers of supportive behaviours, (2) a large portion of parents believed high school sports should prioritise pleasure and participation but some parents acknowledged that competition becomes increasingly emphasised as athletes get older, (3) parents believed the ideal high school coach should be supportive, motivating and encouraging, and (4) parents believed high school sport participation promotes the acquisition of positive skills and attributes that benefit youth's physical, social and academic development.

Keywords:

• youth
• development
• support
• skills
• experience

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.