ABSTRACT
Talented young sport participants on the road toward elite sport participation are surrounded by numerous individuals associated to different responsibilities that play an important role in their development. This chapter explores the development of young athletes and the role of parents and coaches, as this is crucial to understand the following discussion of parents and the support entourage for all athletes. It discusses the development of an athlete and the roles of the support entourage, primarily from a psychosocial perspective by providing in-depth description of the immediate environment around the athlete for sport management researchers and practitioners. The chapter provides implications for the different members of an athlete's entourage, National Olympic committees (NOCs) and/or organisations promoting, planning, organising, and hosting youth sports events. It reviews some of the vital members of the entourage, such as coaches, managers, medical staff, sport physiologists, sport psychologists, media coordinators, and sport specific personnel that must be planned for when hosting major events.
