ABSTRACT
Much of the research we have examined so far in this book has focused on ways in which parents’ involvement in youth sport can influence their children's experiences. But it is also important to understand more about parents’ own experiences in youth sport. Indeed, as Harwood et al. (2010) concluded from their study with parents of elite soccer players from professional team ‘youth academies’ in the UK, “the intense journey of the young academy player is paralleled by a similarly demanding journey for their parents” (p. 54). In this chapter, we look at parenting in youth sport from parents’ perspectives, specifically examining the stressors that parents may experience and the coping strategies they may use.
