The Role of the Parent in Youth Athlete Success

Parents and guardians play a vital role in youth sports. Without their support, youth athletics would not be possible. Parents and guardians also play a vital role in the development of their youth athlete and can have a significant impact on motivation, confidence, behavior and psychological development.⁵

Many parents are unsure of how best to support their young athlete. Research indicates that there is often a disconnect between the needs and preferences of youth athletes and the behavior of their parents.^5,6

This guide is designed to educate parents and guardians on best practices to optimally support their youth athlete. All of the information presented in this guide is based on high-quality, peer-reviewed research articles. A complete list of references can be found below.

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Emotional Climate

A “mastery climate” is an emotional climate that emphasizes personal improvement and learning. Research shows that youth athletes exposed to these positive emotional climates develop enhanced motivation, confidence and commitment. Mastery climates have also been associated with higher performance and a lower injury risk in youth athletes.^16,6

A “performance-based climate” is an emotional climate that emphasizes extreme rivalry and competitiveness. Studies show that youth athletes exposed to these negative emotional climates can increase feelings of anxiety and fear of failure. They are associated with decreased confidence and motivation, and also associated with a greater injury risk.^16,6

Mastery climates are developed when youth athletes perceive their parents or guardians engaging in supportive behaviors, focusing on effort, self reinforced achievements and personal improvement. In contrast, parents who are critical and emphasize competitive success over personal improvement are at risk of developing a negative performance-based climate.^16,6

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Parental Involvement and Interactions

The way in which parents and guardians interact with other players, parents, and coaches  during competitions and training can impact the development and experience of youth athletes. Research shows that youth athletes reported enhanced motivation and enjoyment when parents engaged with other parents in a respectful and supportive manner, and when they encouraged and congratulated other children on the team. When, instead, parents engaged with others in angry and disrespectful ways, youth athletes reported increased feelings of anxiety and embarrassment.^6,5

Youth athletes benefit greatly when parents have respectful, open and honest relationships with coaches. Studies show that these positive relationships between parents and coaches enhance the youth athlete’s trust in their coach. Furthermore, this kind of relationship helps parents learn about their youth athlete’s performance, be optimally involved, and enables them to help solve athlete-coach conflict. In contract, parents who are disrespectful to their youth athlete’s coach, interfere with training, and undermine the coach’s instructions can increase feelings of pressure and anxiety for their youth athletes.^6,5

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Youth Athlete Preferences Before, During, and After Competition

Research shows that youth athletes tend to have certain preferences in how and when their parents or guardians show support. “Those preferences include making comments on effort and attitude, rather than performance, as well as providing practical advice that balances supportive comments and nonverbal behaviors.”¹⁶

Before competitions, youth athletes want parents to help them prepare physically and mentally. This can include making sure that the youth athlete is properly fueled, properly hydrated, and relaxed before the competition.¹⁶

During the competition, youth athletes want parents to encourage the entire team and focus on effort rather than outcome.  Youth athletes did not want parents to coach form the sidelines, argue with other parents or officials, or engage in behavior that would draw attention to themselves or their athlete.^16,6

Outside of competition, youth athletes wanted parents to show an interest in their sport, actively listen, support their desires, and allow them to participate in decision making. Research shows that this behavior increases motivation, confidence, enjoyment, and lowers injury risk in youth athletes.^5,6

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Conclusion

Parents and guardians play an extremely important role in the development of youth athletes. The emotional climates that parents foster, along with the way parents interact with players, parents and coaches, can all have an impact on the development and performance of youth athletes. This guide is intended to educate parents on how best to support their youth athlete on and off the field. However, it is important to keep in mind that every young athlete has different needs and preferences. The most important thing is to listen to your young athlete and take their opinions and emotions into consideration. 

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References

1. Caine, D., Walch, T., & Sabato, T. (2016). The elite young athlete: Strategies to ensure physical and emotional health. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 7, 99–113. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S96821
2. Chidley 2019.pdf. (n.d.).
3. DiFiori, J. P., Benjamin, H. J., Brenner, J. S., Gregory, A., Jayanthi, N., Landry, G. L., & Luke, A. (2014). Overuse injuries and burnout in youth sports: A position statement from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(4), 287–288. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-093299
4. Edison, B. R., Christino, M. A., & Rizzone, K. H. (2021). Athletic Identity in Youth Athletes: A Systematic Review of the Literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), 7331. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147331
5. Elliott, S., Drummond, M. & Knight, C. (2017). The Experiences of Being a Talented Youth Athlete: Lessons for Parents. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1-19.
   http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2017.1382019
6. Harwood, C. G., Knight, C. J., Thrower, S. N., & Berrow, S. R. (2019). Advancing the study of parental involvement to optimise the psychosocial development and experiences of young athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 42, 66–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.01.007
7. Hatzigeorgiadis, A. (n.d.). Negative Self-Talk During Sport Performance: Relationships with Pre-Competition Anxiety and Goal-Performance Discrepancies. 19.
8. Hogue 2020.pdf. (n.d.).
9. Kariv, D., & Heiman, T. (n.d.). Task-Oriented Versus Emotion-Oriented Coping Strategies: The Case of. 18.
10. Mental Health Foundation 2021.pdf. (n.d.).
11. Newport Academy 2021.pdf. (n.d.).
12. Padaki, A. S., Ahmad, C. S., Hodgins, J. L., Kovacevic, D., Lynch, T. S., & Popkin, C. A. (2017). Quantifying Parental Influence on Youth Athlete Specialization: A Survey of Athletes’ Parents. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 5(9), 232596711772914. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967117729147
13. Pieroth 2021.pdf. (n.d.).
14. Purcell, R., Gwyther, K., & Rice, S. M. (2019). Mental Health In Elite Athletes: Increased Awareness Requires An Early Intervention Framework to Respond to Athlete Needs. Sports Medicine - Open, 5(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-019-0220-1
15. Steffen, K., Pensgaard, A. M., & Bahr, R. (2009). Self-reported psychological characteristics as risk factors for injuries in female youth football. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 19(3), 442–451. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2008.00797.x
16. Sabato, T, Walch, T., & Caine, D. (2016). The Elite Young Athlete: Strategies to Ensure Physical and Emotional Health. Journal of Sports Medicine, 20(6:7), 99–113.
17. Tod, D., Hardy, J., & Oliver, E. (2011). Effects of Self-Talk: A Systematic Review. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 33(5), 666–687. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.33.5.666
18. White, G. A. (2008). Levels of stress and mechanisms of coping among male freshman athletes [MS, West Virginia University Libraries]. https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.2645

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