Sibling dynamics and elite athlete development: Results from the Pathways To The Podium Research Project

Abstract

Family members are known to be highly influential on children's participation in sport, and the development of sport expertise. To date, much of the research in this area has focused on parents. Less is known about the influence of siblings on sport expertise development. This investigation compared athletes of three skill levels on measures pertaining to sibling characteristics and sibling participation in sport and physical activity. Several significant skill level differences were found. Elite athletes were more likely to be later-born children, while pre-elite and non-elite athletes were more likely to be first-born. Additionally, compared to siblings of non-elite athletes, siblings of elite athletes were more likely to have participated in physical activity on a regular basis during the time living with the athlete, and were also more likely to have participated in competitive sport at the pre-elite and elite levels. The results of the current study contribute to our understanding of contextual factors associated with the development of sport expertise.