Sport Participation in Early and Middle Adolescence: The Interplay Between Self-Perception and Psychobiosocial Experiences in Predicting Burnout Symptoms

From the pitch to personal growth: Investigating self-esteem as a mediator and parental support as a moderator in youth sports in China

This study focuses on the intricate connections among youth sports, personal development, and skill acquisition in contemporary China. Building upon established theoretical frameworks, the study aims to unravel the intricate interplay among various variables. Employing a robust methodology that accounts for mediation and moderation effects and with a sample of 808 individuals representing diverse demographics, the findings shed light on the significant influence of family structure, particularly the prevalence of extended family arrangements, on an individual's character development. Furthermore, the study underscores the pivotal role of personal characteristics, particularly self-esteem, in shaping admirable traits. The research identifies several contributing factors to positive character development, including active participation in sports, parental support, accessibility to sports facilities, positive peer influence, and high self-esteem. Parents play a crucial role in mitigating the adverse effects of peer pressure by offering positive reinforcement and serving as role models. These findings hold important implications for youth development programs, emphasizing the vital role of parents in guiding character development, particularly in the context of peer pressure.

Sibling comparisons, sibling relationship quality, and perceived sport competence in young athletes

Siblings are overlooked, yet potentially meaningful social agents in youth sport. To better understand the role of siblings in youth sport, we examined the association between sibling sport-referenced comparisons, relationship qualities, and perceived sport competence. The tendency to make sibling comparisons was expected to be positively related to sport competence perceptions and this association was further expected to be moderated by markers of sibling relationship quality. Participants were 47 sport-involved sibling dyads that included older siblings (25 female, 22 male, Mage = 10.94 ± 1.49 yrs) who were predominately first-born children (83%) and their younger siblings (23 female, 24 male participants, Mage = 8.45 ± 1.01 yrs) who were mostly second-born children (79%). Participants completed established assessments of comparison tendency, sibling relationship qualities, and sport competence perceptions. Analyses revealed a three-way interaction between birth position (younger or older sibling), tendency to compare, and sibling warmth predicting sport competence (p < .05). Younger siblings with a greater tendency to make sibling comparisons and higher warmth perceptions reported higher sport competence perceptions. The findings suggest that sibling-based comparisons and relational warmth may be salient for younger siblings in gauging their competence, whereas older siblings utilize alternative sources of competence information.

The role of parents in the motivation of young athletes: a systematic review

Objectives

Parents are one of the main social agents that shape young athletes' experiences and participation in sports, but they are also the least explored group in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of research on the role of parents in the motivation of young athletes.

Method

The systematic literature review consisted of four electronic databases from which 29 articles published in English and in full-text form in peer-reviewed journals between 1999 and 2023 were retrieved.

Results

A total of 29 studies met the eligibility criteria. These studies collectively surveyed 9,185 young athlete participants and 2,191 parent participants. The sample comprised 26 quantitative studies and 3 qualitative studies. The findings underscore that parents play both unique and synergistic multidimensional roles in motivating young athletes. Parents' positive goals and values, autonomy-supportive parenting styles, moderate parental involvement, positive parent-child relationships, and a parent-initiated task climate are identified as optimal parenting strategies.

Conclusion

While parents undeniably play a crucial role in motivating young athletes, the manner and extent of their involvement are key.