The role of parents in the sporting development of young athletes has been a focus of research in sport psychology for decades. Academic research and applied work has been transformed into books, manuals, pamphlets, websites and videos to provide a source of accessible information to parents based around understanding and enhancing their child’s experience in […]
Let’s get off on the right foot. I am not a parent, but I know enough to recognise that it’s a tough job. And then there’s being a sport parent… Accordingly, several of TheSportInMind articles emphasise the value and importance of sport parents roles and, aligned with Fredricks and Eccles’ (2004) research, sport parents are […]
In my previous article about parenting in sport (link available below), it was concluded parents should support, praise and encourage their child’s involvement in sport. What failed to be detailed however, is when praise should be given and where it should be directed. Therefore I shall attempt to answer these questions in the current article. […]
The role of parents in youth sport has recently been thrown into the media limelight following Gary Lineker’s article for the Newstatesman (link to the article available below). He apportions part of the blame for England’s lack of international footballing success to a negative culture at grass roots level, specifically involving “pushy parents”. It is […]
We’ve all seen that one parent on the sideline, shouting out inappropriate comments at the top of their voice that are not only directed at their own child, but often at their teammates, teachers or coaches and the referee. How much does this behaviour influence the sporting experience of their child? How much should the […]
It has often been said that the most important thing children gain from sport is enjoyment. However, youth sport additionally plays a huge role in the personal development of children and provides valuable lessons and life skills. Life skills are defined as “ranges of transferable skills needed for everyday life, by everybody, that help people […]
As a football coach you are always looking at ways to improve the performance of your players and maintain the highest level of coaching. I would like to put forward a proposal of how parental involvement can be encouraged in football. Cote (1999), found that children who become experts before the age of eight are involved in […]