True-Sport-Report

Wiese-Bjornstal’s work has found that
how girls perceive their parents’ assessment
of their abilities predicts their likelihood
of playing and staying in sport. 55
That is, if their parents do not have confidence
in their abilities, neither will they.
And dads, are you listening? Studies have
found that fathers hold more influence—
positive and negative—over their daughter’s
sport competence and values than do
mothers. 159 However, mothers are more
likely to first enroll their daughters in
sport and then provide ongoing support,
such as providing transportation, uniforms,
moral support, and snacks. 24
There is some good news to report from
one study. Researchers from Yale University,
the University of Texas at Austin, and
the University of Michigan suggest that
children participate in organized activities,
such as sport, because they want to, not
because their parents make them. 30 But
parents need to consider whether a child
is mentally, emotionally, socially, and
physically mature enough to participate
in sport. Readiness for a sport is just as
important as readiness for school. And,
like schooling, younger children need
more positive direction at first, until they
begin to develop and master the sport.
Parents also benefit from their child’s
participation in sport. Wiersma and
Fifer 160 found that their positive experiences
include watching their child learn
new skills and having the opportunity to
interact with other parents.
On the negative side, parents who
expect too much and put too many
demands on their young athletes before,
during, and after competition can create
stress that can destroy their child’s enjoyment
of sport. Research by Bois et al., 161
Power and Woolger, 162 and Van Yperen 163
has shown that negative parental support
and pressure can result in competitive
anxiety, interpersonal difficulties among
teammates, and even quitting. Conversely,
lower parental pressure has been found to
be associated with higher enjoyment by
children. 164 An overemphasis on extrinsic
goals (winning, trophies, status) by parents
can negate intrinsic goal orientation,
through which the child gains satisfaction
from playing, mastering skills, and improving
his or her game. Coaches report
that sport performance of children and
adolescents is affected by the presence
of parents. In addition, parents are most
likely to create conflict for coaches
during the critical time that their child
is improving mastery and transferring
his or her trust in authority from the
parent to the coach. 165
LaVoi and Stellino 127 found that the
children of parents who create anxiety
about failing and emphasize winning
are more likely to engage in poor sport
behaviors than children whose parents
encourage enjoyment and self-mastery.
Guivernau and Duda 166 studied how
athletes’ perceptions of their parents’
approval regarding cheating and aggression
shape their own views about appropriate
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