ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the importance and role of parents in supporting young footballers and coaches in grassroots football. Academic interest in the role of parents in sport began in the late 1960s in the United States of America. Initially, research in the area was conducted within educational psychology and sport sociology. The transformational leadership theory is a theoretical framework centred around the concept of inspiration and sources of inspiration in a sporting environment. Transformational leaders are proposed to inspire followers (children/young footballers) to achieve exceptional outcomes through developing, articulating, and inspiring others. From a parental perspective, the coaches should consider: the delivery and content of theory practices; young footballers are treated fairly and consistently; consideration of the coaching process will be for the correction of the skill and not the young footballer; coaches will adhere to acceptable behaviours, both within social expectations and/or a code of conduct.
