Parent decision-making regarding youth sport participation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose To describe youth sport participation behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported by parents of youth sport athletes, to examine the association of family demographics with the likelihood of children resuming sports, and to qualitatively report the factors influencing parental decision-making regarding youth sport participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A national sample of parents of youth athletes from across the United States (n=236, age: 39.2±8.1 years, 57.2% female) were recruited to complete an online questionnaire by Qualtrics Online Samples (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) using a combination of actively managed, double-opt-in market research panels. The questionnaire focused on changes in child sport participation and family finances as a result of COVID-19 and included both close-ended and open-ended questions. Results Most parents (63.1%) reported the time their children spent participating in organized youth sports had decreased because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three-quarters of parents (75.5%) reported that it was likely that their children would fully resume participating in organized youth sports within the next year. Parents whose financial situation was worsened by COVID-19 were less likely to report that their children would resume sports in the upcoming year. Three domains related to parental decision-making emerged from the open-ended responses: safety, fear, and normalcy. Conclusions Understanding the factors influencing changes in youth sport participation during the pandemic can allow systems to implement strategies for safe participation in youth sport and physical activity among children. Encouraging participation in outdoor sports with appropriate safety precautions such as masking, social distancing, and hygiene may reduce fear of participation among parents. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10900-022-01078-4.

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Determinants of Team Sport Participation Decision in the Wake of the Pandemic Among University Youth

“…Such a decision by youth could affect strategies to be deployed for the sake of safe participation in team sports. In times of COVID-19, Post et al (2022) reported that children spent less time in youth sport participation but would likely resume playing sport soon. Parents interviewed were concerned about safety, fear, and normalcy, and tended to take these domains under consideration when they had to decide whether they should encourage their children to play sport.…”

“…Parents interviewed were concerned about safety, fear, and normalcy, and tended to take these domains under consideration when they had to decide whether they should encourage their children to play sport. In the study by Post (2022), parents revealed their children's sport involvement had come to a standstill due to cancellations caused by the pandemic. The shutdown was ascribed to parental concerns or fears relative to the likely impact of COVID-19 on their child's health (Abuhammad, 2020;Courtney et al, 2020).…”