Positive Sports Factors
There are many positives to youth sports, and it is important to note how the family relationship can impact sports in a positive manner. Extensive research has been completed in the area of youth sports and active participation showing sports participation is developmentally important for children (Dorsch et al., 2015). Sports participation as an extracurricular activity for young children have been associated with a range of advantages for athletes, such as physical, psychological, emotional, social, and intellectual benefits (Dorsch et al., 2022). Approximately 80% of North American and European youth participate in some form of organized sports (Dorsch, 2020). For positive benefits to be evident in the future and not impede progress, it is crucial that the necessary elements are in place. For a child to feel connected and supported in sports, they must have a connection with their peers, coach, and family (Dorsch et al., 2022).
Above and beyond the connectedness and sports participation it is important for parents to provide unconditional love, encouragement, and praise, as well as other forms of emotional, tangible, and informational support (Knight et al., 2016). When it is found that these relationship characteristics are in place the sports experience is more positive.
When a parent is actively involved in the child’s sport, it allows the relationship to be two directional. The conversation and support within the sports system has contributions not only the athlete but also their support system (Knight et al., 2016). The youth development approach has shifted from a deficit-based approach to a strength-based approach, according to Vella et al. (2013). It is commonly assumed that enrolling a child in sports will yield positive outcomes, but this is not always the case. The relationship between an athlete’s mental health and their positive sports experiences is affected by their self-perception. Positive sports experiences encompass relationships with family members, coaches, and peers. However, parents who exert excessive pressure by questioning and correcting their athlete or by allowing the coach to have undue influence can significantly impact the child’s athletic outcomes as well as their long-term enjoyment and continued participation in the sport (Vella et al., 2013).
Negative Sports Factors
At times parents feel they must justify all they do to support their child and the time, energy, money, transportation, coaching, cost of sports equipment, etc. When they justify within the athlete’s sports performance knowingly or unknowingly put pressure on their child to perform there can be a negative relationship that develops between the parent-child (Knight et al., 2016). Within the research it has found that parents put their children in sports for self-fulfillment. They themselves were not able to perform at a level they would have liked and therefor live vicariously through their child. They want their child to perform above and beyond what they did so the pressure they put on them in their eyes is to “help” them reach this high level of sports performance. Parents who give technical recommendations/coaching when their child perceives them as not an expert of the sport negatively impacts their relationship as well (Knight et al., 2016). There are authors that argue that perfectionism dimensions have an impact on a child psychological process that can lead to positive and negative outcomes (Appleton et al., 2011). It is known that the parent pressure can lead to many different factors within a young athlete’s life including but not limited to sports burnout, injuries, broken family relationships, negative self-talk, as well as many other factors (Whitley et al., 2021). As stated in Appleton’s work (2011) the parent’s attitude, expectations, pressure, and support towards the development of their child’s perfectionism are key contributing factors.
Parent support can be viewed in different ways from each individual child. There are parents that drop off a child at their sports practices, don’t attend all sporting events, and/or show lack of engagement when they are in attendance. This can look many different ways but often it is seen as parents on their phones, not near the sports practice/game, or busy doing other tasks. All these tasks can be viewed in the athlete’s eyes as lack of parental sports support and can negatively impact their sports experience. Then you have the opposite where during practice and games the parent cheers from the sidelines with inappropriate behavior and through this create a hostile environment for parents and children. Their own child may have negative emotions or outcomes that come from their parent’s sideline behavior (Knight et al., 2016). Many children feel that when they are a student and athlete there is stress to be able to balance the academic and athletic demand. This can impact the mental health of a child to be able to prioritize this development without the correct support from their family system (Kaye et al., 2019). Parents may push a child, accuse, pressure them in either the academic or sports portion of the child’s life not realizing the potential stress or impact it has. Parents are the initial and main system support when a child has sports performance anxiety, self-esteem, and autonomous motivation, yet they are not trained to support a child in this way. We continue to see an increase in mental health, and it is no different in the youth competitive sports field.