Parental Stressors in Sports Influenced by Attributes of Parents and Their Children

Abstract

(1) Background: Although parental behavior is known to be an important source of influence, relatively few studies have examined the factors possibly contributing parental stressors as being directly related to their children’s sport socialization. The present study explored the relative importance of related parental stressors and the associations between these stressors and various types of parental involvement. (2) Method: A total of 1260 parents completed an online form including demographic questions, questions on their children’s sport participation, and three self-report measures (PSSS, PISQ, and PASSES). (3) Results: The results revealed that the multiple linear regression models for overall parental stress were statistically significant. The significant predictors were the parent’s educational level, the child’s current stage of sports participation, and the child’s sport injury (or the lack thereof). Furthermore, the stressors perceived by parents were positively associated with parental direct behavior and pressure. (4) Conclusions: Parents are under more stress as their child’s stages of sport development increases, if their child has already had a sports injury, and the parents’ directive behavior and experienced stress were significantly associated. The obtained results expand the existing knowledge of the complexity of parents’ importance in children’s sports careers.

Being a right parent: a narrative review of the theory and practice of parental involvement in sport parenting

“…Additionally, studies have shown a strong correlation between the frequency of sports topics discussed in private spaces and adolescents’ psychology and age ( Kovács et al, 2022 ). As motor skills grow, the psychological pressure on parents increases due to higher financial expenses.…”

“…As motor skills grow, the psychological pressure on parents increases due to higher financial expenses. This stress is often transferred to adolescents in private space exchanges and becomes a shared stressor ( Kovács et al, 2022 ). For this reason, there have been calls from researchers that this should be taken seriously to increase parental involvement and the effects produced by their practices to avoid counterproductive effects ( Knight et al, 2016 ).…”

“…Regarding interpersonal interactions, parents engaged in sport parenting can empower adolescents to improve their social skills through encouragement and practical support, such as introducing them to their friends' children. Additionally, they can provide tips on elements, norms, and other aspects of interpersonal interactions to enhance their skills (Kovács et al, 2022). This is especially true for children who are introverted due to a congenital disorder or disease, and parents' use of sports channels to expose them to children with similar experiences can be effective in improving their socialization, such as parents of adolescents with disabilities who state that: "It's given him [the disabled child] a whole new group of friends.…”

“…Or, alternatively, to explore the positive effects that parental sport parenting specifically has on a child’s development. For example, improving children’s social skills, learning social norms, and developing good behavior ( Kovács et al, 2022 ). Other studies have looked at parental sport parenting in different settings to discuss the effects of parental sport parenting in different settings.…”