Abstract
Although there is an emerging body of literature examining positive youth development (PYD) through sport among adolescents, little is known about PYD among young children (i.e., ages 5-8 years). Parents have a prominent role in their children's sport experiences and as such, their opinions may create better understandings of the benefits children gain through sport. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine parents' perceptions of their children's PYD through participation in organized youth sport programs. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 parents (12 mothers, 10 fathers, M age = 38.9 years) of children 5 to 8 years old who were involved in an organized sport program. Data were subjected to qualitative analysis techniques based on the interpretive description methodology. Data analysis suggested that children had opportunities to explore their capabilities through participation in sport, and this exploration appeared to contribute to children developing positive self-perceptions. Parents reported a range of social (e.g., teamwork and cooperation), physical (e.g., fundamental sport skills), and personal (e.g., fair play and sportspersonship) benefits their children gained through sport. The current findings add an important contribution to the PYD through sport literature because they suggest that even young children can garner social, physical, and personal benefits through sport participation.
