Abstract
The purpose of this study was to conceptualize good parenting in youth sport. We addressed two research questions: 1) What do coaches perceive as good parenting in youth sport? 2) How do 'exemplary' parents support their children in youth sport? First, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 coaches (3 females, 5 males, M age= 40.1 years, SD = 15.1 years) who coached hockey (n = 4), volleyball (n = 2), basketball (n = 1), and soccer (n = 1). Coaches were asked to describe what they perceived to be good parenting in youth sport and to nominate exemplary parents they had dealt with who personified good parenting. Second, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 exemplary parents (7 mothers, 3 fathers, M age= 48.5 years, SD= 4.0 years). Parents were asked about their involvement in their child's sport, their general parenting style, and the specific parenting practices in which they engage. Interpretive description methodology was used. In this study, parents were attentive to their children's emotional experiences. They expressed this through three main categories: Shared goals, principles of an understanding emotional climate, and enhancing practices surrounding competition. Thus, we conceptualized that good sport parents are emotionally intelligent and understand their children, themselves, and the sporting context. They understand what to do, and when and how to do it, within a complex sporting milieu. From an applied perspective, these findings may be useful for informing future policies and programs to help parents support their children in sport.
