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.

KEYWORDS:

• Creative methods
• interpretive description
• parents
• youth sport

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maita G. Furusa

Maita G. Furusa, is a first year PhD student studying Sport and Exercise Science at Swansea University. His research is focused on the protection of children in sport and establishing ways to enhance children's enjoyment and overall sporting experiences.

Camilla J. Knight

Camilla J. Knight, PhD, is an Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Science (specialising in Sport Psychology) at Swansea University. She is also the Youth Sport lead for the Welsh Institute of Performance Science and a member of the Welsh Safeguarding in Sport Strategy group. Camilla’s research interests are concerned with understanding and enhancing the psychosocial experiences of children in sport, with a particular focus upon the influence of parents. Camilla is co-author of “Parenting in youth sport: From Research to Practice” (Routledge, 2014), co-editor of “Sport Psychology for Young Athletes” (Routledge, 2017) and has published and consulted widely on topics such as parental involvement in sport and youth sport participation.

Denise M. Hill

Denise M. Hill, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Swansea University. She is also the Wellbeing and Mental Health lead for the Welsh Institute of Performance Science. Denise’s research interests focus predominantly on pressurised performance failure (i.e. choking) and factors affecting the wellbeing and mental health of individuals involved in high-performance sport. As a Chartered Psychologist and BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (psychology support), Denise has worked for many years as an applied practitioner; supporting numerous elite athletes and coaches thrive within their role.