Abstract
Family support is an important contributor to children’s healthy development in sport (Fraser-Thomas et al., 2013). While a growing number of studies have investigated the roles of parents and siblings in children’s sport involvement and talent development, few have explored the holistic influences of all family members (Côté, 1999). The purpose of this case study was to prospectively explore family influences in the development of a child-athlete over a three-year period. Participants included a female child-athlete, her mother, father, and coach. Semi-structured interviews were carried out at yearly intervals with all four participants over a three-year period, from the time the child was aged 7 to 9. The child athlete’s mother also completed a demographic and sport history questionnaire, and practices and competitions were observed at yearly intervals. Preliminary findings shed light on the parent-coach-athlete triad relationship, sibling rivalries, parental attitudes and behaviours towards each child within the family, potential benefits for parents of child-athletes, and contradictions in perceptions of family members. Findings of this case study provide a valuable longitudinal understanding of the family dynamics of one child-athlete over time, shedding light on important aspects of family support in the development of athletes throughout childhood, and highlighting key areas for future research.
