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Why study Families in the context of Sport
Over 90% of American youth participate in organized sport during childhood and/or adolescence, making youth sport an important context to study the development of parents and children and their interaction within the family. Moreover, as parents and families continue to invest a growing percentage of family resources into the athletic development and success of their children, the “appropriate” level of parental involvement in youth sport has become a polarizing cultural debate. This debate is significant because the quality and quantity of parent involvement in extra-curricular activities has been linked to enhanced child outcomes including motivation and achievement. In light of these findings, youth sport is an important, and indeed ubiquitous, context for the study of human development and family interaction.
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