“When are you gonna commit?” Exploring the experiences of youth athletes and their parents prior to a sporting transition

Transitioning to competitive sport during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring children’s experiences from a developmental perspective.

“…Specifically, parents were a source of support and guidance for children, children navigated psychosocial changes in their peer groups, and families faced financial and logistical changes across the transition period (Wylleman et al, 2013). As such, despite the limited research that has explicitly studied youth transitions in sport (Dunn & Tamminen, 2021), the HAC model (Wylleman et al, 2013) was shown to be a relevant and useful framework when exploring the transition from recreational to competitive sports.…”

“…There is also evidence that negative experiences, such as conflict with coaches and decreased motivation, may lead youth athletes to transition out of an athletic pathway (Anderson-Butcher et al, 2021; Moulds et al, 2022). Despite this research, there has been limited examination of how children navigate the process of transitioning between different levels of youth sport (Dunn & Tamminen, 2021). These transitions also coincide with children’s growth and development, particularly in psychosocial domains (Evans et al, 2017).…”

“…For example, youth athletes learn how to engage in prosocial behavior with teammates and can experience positive self-esteem and perceived athletic competence as a result of sports participation (Anderson-Butcher et al, 2021; Gano-Overway et al, 2009). As such, more research is needed to understand how children navigate periods of transition in sport and explore how children’s psychosocial abilities may fluctuate during transitions (Dunn & Tamminen, 2021; Moulds et al, 2022).…”

“…During this time, children are likely to also seek recognition and acceptance from their peers (Lee et al, 2019; Vierimaa & Côté, 2016), which can impact their sense of competence and continued sports participation (Ullrich-French et al, 2012; Weiss et al, 2016). Given that transitions present youth athletes with opportunities such as meeting new teammates, being assessed by coaches, and participating in tryouts (Dunn & Tamminen, 2021), it is likely that the psychosocial developmental features of middle childhood play a role in how children approach and experience periods of transitions in sport. However, little research has been conducted to explore how children’s experiences of transition are related to their psychosocial abilities.…”