Parental Support, Sibling Influences and Family Dynamics across the Development of Canadian Interuniversity Student-Athletes

Abstract

A vast body of research focuses on the role of parents in athlete development; however, little is known about developmental influences of siblings. In general, family dynamics (i.e., patterns of relating or interacting among family members) have yet to be investigated in youth sport contexts. This study examines how family dynamics and the individual roles of parents and siblings influence the development of Canadian interuniversity student-athletes over time. Participants included four male and six female student-athletes. Each participant took part in a qualitative retrospective timeline interview. All data was subjected to a thematic analysis. Results indicate that siblings and parents play separate yet intricately connected roles in athlete development throughout childhood and adolescence. Overall, participants described a cohesive family unit built on shared values and joint participation in sport activities. They described stable and dynamic forms of support from their parents over time, and positive and negative sibling influences. These findings offer valuable insight into the dynamic nature of parent and sibling relationships with athletes in youth sport and beyond, as well as how these relationships operate in the broader family environment to optimize (and, at times, hinder) athletic development.

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“…Inter-sibling rivalry within sport is common, particularly closely spaced siblings as they both aspire to achieve superior athletic status (Davis & Meyer, 2008). This rivalry often motivates the athletic pursuits of younger siblings who look up to their older siblings with increased admiration and seek their approval (Côté, 1999;Lundy et al, 2019). Same sex siblings who participated in the same sport have disclosed that they can be highly critical of one another which can result in negative inter-sibling rivalry (Nelson & Strachan, 2017).…”

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