Peer-reviewed article
Parent-Child Emotion Regulation Within Competitive Youth Sport Families: A Qualitative Multiple Case Study.
Sutcliffe JT, Tamminen KA ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how parents and families help children regulate emotions in competitive youth sports. Using interviews with five families that included athletes aged 11-12, parents, siblings and grandparents, researchers found that entering competitive sport changed family roles and emotional support patterns. The study shows that parents sometimes emphasise effort over addressing children's emotional needs, and suggests parents need better strategies to help children manage emotions in sports.
Key points
- Transitions into competitive sport altered family identities and roles in emotional support
- A focus on effort sometimes overshadowed athletes' emotional needs
- Parents and family members are primary socialisation agents influencing young athletes' emotional regulation
- Youth sport participation can lead to stressful experiences for both athletes and parents
- Findings align with existing models of emotion regulation
Limitations
The study is based on five family units only, which is a small sample size that may not represent broader patterns across different sports, cultures or socioeconomic contexts. The research does not identify the countries where the study was conducted, and does not evaluate whether any intervention improved outcomes.
Abstract
Youth sport participation can lead to stressful experiences for athletes and parents, and the manner in which negative emotions are regulated impacts their experiences and continued involvement. As primary socialization agents, parents and family members uniquely influence young athletes' emotional regulation within youth sport contexts. The purpose of this study was to examine emotion regulation dynamics within competitive youth sport families. Employing a multiple case study methodology, semistructured interviews were conducted with five distinct family units, comprising competitive youth athletes aged 11-12 years, their parents, siblings, and grandparents to understand the developmental implications of familial emotion regulation practices in youth sport. Findings indicated that transitions into competitive sport altered family identities and roles in emotional support, while a focus on effort sometimes overshadowed athletes' emotional needs. These results align with existing models of emotion regulation and highlight the importance of equipping parents with adaptive coregulation strategies.