TheETG applied sport sciences
sport psychology
In the mid to late 1980’s when I coached high schoolers in cross-country and track, every 1 to 2 weeks I sent their parents a newsletter geared toward providing them with info and ways they could encourage, help, support, and/or cheer for their son or daughter.
Info in the study below is among the reasons why I did that. Parents can be a huge boost or a source of decline and burnout…….
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“Motivational climate research has focused more empirical attention on coach-initiated motivational climate than on the parent-initiated climate.”
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“In this study of 238 competitive swimmers (ages 9–14 years), we compared the strength of relations between athletes’ late-season perceptions of coach and parent-initiated climates and their self-esteem, performance anxiety, and intrinsic–extrinsic motivation.”
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“…..analyses revealed that parent-initiated motivational climate was a significant predictor of late-season self-esteem, trait anxiety, and autonomous regulation over and above coach-initiated motivational climate.”
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“We discuss when and why the parent-initiated climate is likely to be more influential and imply that more empirical attention to parents is warranted.”