How influential is parents’ involvement

in youth football?

Introduction

There has been much scholar literature written about the parents’ involvement in youth sport and
their influence on the children’s enjoyment and sport development (Holt and Knight, 2014). The
following essay will explore and analyse existing data in that area and lead to coherent conclusion on
how influential parents are on their children within youth sport and soccer in particular. As Duncan
(1997) defines, within the children’s sport, the commitment of the parents is a major factor that
supports their children (Duncan, 1997; Gould et al., 2010). Furthermore, that commitment requires
considerable expenditure of money and time (Hellstedt, 1995). Coakley (2006) also suggests that
one of the key components of children’s socialization process is their parents attending the soccer
events the children participate in (Coakley, 2006; Jambor, 1999). Therefore it is of greater
importance that further investigation takes place with a main focus on understanding the actual
parental influence on their child within sporting context. Fredricks and Eccles (2004) suggests that
the parents have greater influence on their children throughout their development as soccer
players, because they are highly involved in their youth sporting career (Fredricks and Eccles, 2004).
Hence the purpose of this study is to examine the parental influence and involvement in youth sport
in three major contexts: First, parental behaviour and the consequences of it, will be explored in
relation to the background anger their children experience during sporting events (training and
competitive events). Second, verbal parental comments during sporting events and the influence
these may have on their participating children will be examined. Third, parents will be analysed as
providers and role models for their children.

Parental behaviour - Background Anger

There are strong evidences of angry and aggressive adult behaviour at youth soccer events. Scholarly
literature about background anger on the side line, press publications and media coverage is
documented in the recent years (Kidman et al., 1999; Murphy, 1999). A study, conducted by Omli
(2009) suggests that coaches, parents and athletes report multiple angry interactions during youth
soccer events. This exposure to background anger is similar for boys and girls and has its levels
increasing from childhood to adolescence, with its peak around 16 years of age (LaVoi et al., 2008).

Parents report less background anger on the side line than coaches. Furthermore, some parents
even dismiss such behaviour as an innocent part of the game. In this context, the parents collectively
create a negative surrounding which may affect the performance of the participants, their well-being
and their experience in general (Omli and LaVoi, 2009). Kidman et al. (1999) present that mostly
parents yell at their own child, which is another example of background anger young athletes
experience throughout their development as soccer players. Prolonged exposure to background
anger, in any form, may distress children and can cause long-term health consequences (Grych and
Finchman, 1990). Therefore it is important to understand how background anger affects children
and to what degree.

First, there is evidence that suggests anger expressed between adults (parent – parent) is more
stressful for the young athletes than anger between adult and child (parent – child) (El-Sheikh and
Cheskes, 1995). Second, Abrams (2006) indicates that background anger at youth soccer events
often involve conflicts between parent and other adult in the presence of a child. Third, most of the
soccer coaches and match day officials are men and conflicts between men can be notably more
distressful for children (Harger and El-Sheikh, 2003). Fourth, children from all age groups indicates
background anger and negative behaviour from the side line, suggesting that young athletes are
exposed to anger throughout their whole youth soccer development (Omli, 2009), which may
consequent in children becoming more sensitive to background anger when exposed to prolonged
conflicts (Cummings and Davies, 1994). Results from the study Omli (2009) conducted support the
theory that background anger increases as children get older, which partially explains why many
young athletes drop out of youth sport around the age of thirteen (Omli, 2009). Fifth, unsettled
conflicts are significantly more stressful than resolved ones for the children in the context of
contradictions which are mostly one-sided (parent – official, parent – coach), thus there is almost
impossible to find resolution for (Cummings et al., 2003). Sixth, the youth soccer provides a unique
public context; therefore the influence of background anger can be specifically disturbing for the
young soccer players, especially if their parent is involved in a conflict (Scanlan, 1996; Omli, 2009).

Taken all these factors into account, it is fair to conclude that angry adult behaviour from the side
line at youth soccer events can have negative influence on children’s experience, development and
well-being. Negative comments from the parents can also lead to developing competitive stress,
inhibiting sport performance and causing children’s drop out from sport in general (Petlichkoff,
1993; Gould, 1993).

Parental verbal comments during sporting events

Shields et al. (2005) conducted a research on this topic during youth sporting events involving 189
parents, which shows that 14% of the parents reported they have used negative comments towards
the match day officials and 13% admitted they have criticized their own child (Shields et al., 2005).
Furthermore the authors also confirmed that 15% of the youth athletes, participating in sport
events, stated that their parents react angry if they did underperform on the field. As Gould (1993)
suggests, extensive pressure and over expectation from the parents in the athlete’s youth
development may have negative long term consequences for the children.

In a similar study, conducted by Kidman et al. (1999), the authors examined the nature of the
parental comments during 147 games in 7 different team sports. All of the sports being participated
by both boys and girls aged 6 to 12 years old. In general they found that although the majority of the
comments were positive 47,2%, more than a third of all the comments were negative – 34.5%.
However, with the overall positive comments being dominant, the comments made by the soccer
parents had the higher number in negative context, almost half of them - 47,9%, with 40 % positive
comments and 12 % neutral (Kidman et al., 1999). These results just support the existing thesis that
soccer has an unique sporting context (Green and Christine, 1997), where parents play important
role in their children’s development (Hennessy et al., 2010; Kanters et al., 2008).

There has been found that there is relation between low parental pressure and greater children’s
enjoyment in sport (Brustad, 1996). Perceptions of positive parental involvement, praise and greater
understanding of their children are also linked to high levels of children’s enjoyment, satisfaction
and successful youth career in sport (Alfermann et al., 2004). In contrast Leff and Hoyle (1995) finds
that parental over-involvement and pressure towards their children leads to increased levels of
anxiety and burnouts in the young athletes (Leff and Hoyle, 1995). It appears that parents can
influence their children’s experience and in general, their perception of sport, in both ways, positive
and negative and has the greater impact in their development.

Parents as providers and role models

There is enough evidence to suggest that parents exert major influence on their children’s desire to
participate in a variety of physical activities, exercises, games and sports (Brustad, 1993; Weiss and
Hayashi, 1995). Moreover, a link has been found between the physical activity levels of parents and
their children, suggesting that children of active parents are up to six times more active themselves
than the children of passive parents (Moore et al., 1991). Similarly, Freedson and Evenson (1991)
confirmed the relationship between the physical activity of children aged 5 to 9 years old and their
parents. Although there is empirical research to illustrate the existence of such a link, closer
investigation of parental socialization influence needs to be conducted. Some researchers present
the theory of role modelling as a primary form of parental influence (Sallis et al., 1988; Green and
Christine, 1997) and in this context the parental physical activity represents a form of behaviour
which the children themself will adopt eventually (Brustad, 1996).

In Britain, young athletes' participation and involvement in soccer is strongly dependent on their
parents, with the soccer clubs and coaches also playing an important later role in children’s
development (Alfermann et al., 2004; Baxter-Jones and Maffulli, 2003). Children’s involvement and
regular participation in physical activities, such as soccer, is heavily related to their social and
psychological growth and to their development of peer relations and self-esteem (Brustad, 1996).
Fredricks and Eccles (2004) suggest the importance of advanced research on parental involvement in
youth sport for a number of reasons. Firstly: all parents are highly involved in youth sport; secondly,
the sports, such as soccer, are public arena, where parents can provide feedback; and thirdly,
parents can influence their children’s experience (Cote, 1999; Fredricks and Eccles, 2004). Likewise,
Baxter-Jones and Maffulli (2003) present their finding that many talented youngsters with less
motivated parents will not undertake sport, thus parents’ motivation is crucial for their children’s
motivation and enjoyment of soccer (Baxte-Jones and Maffulli, 2003; Hoyle and Leff, 1995). In their
study Baxter-Jones and Maffulli (2003) identified how and why young athletes started regular
training. The data was collected from 282 elite young athletes, aged 8 to 17 years old, and their
parents. The purpose of this study was to examine how British sportsmen (swimmers, gymnasts,
tennis and soccer players), were introduced to their sport, their motivation to participate and how
they were encouraged into intensive training regime. The results of the study regarding the soccer
players and their parents showed that almost half of the athletes (47%) became involved in soccer
by their own choice. However, the majority of the soccer players (65%) made the transition to more
intensive training, encouraged not by their parents, but by their coach instead (Baxter-Jones and
Maffulli, 2003).

Furthermore, in a study, conducted by Ommundsen and Vaglum (1991) with a total of 223 young
soccer players (aged 12 to 16 years old) participating, the authors found relation between the
perceived emotional involvement of the parents and the higher levels of children enjoyment (Van
Yperen, 1995). Indeed, there is enough scholarly literature to support the thesis of parents playing
the most important role in their children’s development as athletes (Carlson, 1988; Hill, 1993).

Conclusion

Parental support is crucial for a young soccer player and their career development. The influence
and the impact parents have on their children, however, depends mostly on the parents themselves
and their attitude towards their children. It is important to note that this influence can be both
positive and negative, and may have a variety of consequences on the children’s development,
enjoyment, motivation and even well-being.

Parents own sport experience can also influence to a degree their involvement in their children
sport. If they are familiar with the sport, their child participate in, they will be more competent and
confident in their involvement, respectively, if they are unfamiliar with the sport themselves, they
might feel uncomfortable and less knowledgeable within the particular sporting context, which
means their contribution and influence may differ.
Children are highly dependent on their parents to provide the right setting, within soccer context,
for them to grow in to. It is of major importance that parents themselves serve as a role model and
inspiration for their children, as these capacities are developed in early age in youth soccer. In the
same way the young athletes can be influenced by their parents in a negative way, due to high
expectations, extensive pressure and exposure to stressful backgrounds. Pressure and negative
attitudes towards the sporting process itself may result in a situation where a child loses interest in
participating because of the lack of enjoyment. Positive feedback, encouragement and unconditional
support are the key factors parents has to implement in the relationship with their children as the
children themselves, eventually, would adopt the same manners. The parents should serve as an
example for their children in the soccer context, as their children most of the time see them as role
models.

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