COVID-19 has dramatically altered and disrupted sport in unprecedented ways, and youth sports is one sector that has been profoundly impacted. In the United States, the youth sports industry generates $19 billion dollars annually, while youth sport tourism is estimated at $9 billion annually. With youth sports at a standstill, the effect on the youth sports infrastructure is significant. The purpose of this scholarly commentary was to discuss the psychological, developmental, and economic fallout from the stoppage of youth sports that has touched millions of participants, their families, and a substantial youth sports structural system. This work also addresses the potential restructuring of youth sport megacomplexes, cascading effects of canceled seasons, likely sponsorship losses, and potential growing socioeconomic divide in participation that could result from the pandemic. Thus, there is still much uncertainty about the future of youth sport participation and subsequent adjustments that may impact established participation and consumption norms.
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Jimmy Sanderson and Katie Brown
Scott B. Martin, Peggy A. Richardson, Karen H. Weiller, and Allen W. Jackson
During the past decade females have had more opportunities to participate in sports at various levels than ever before. These opportunities and the recognition received due to their success may have changed peoples’ views regarding same-sex role models, perceived parental encouragement, and expectations of success. Thus, the purpose of the study was to explore role models, perceived encouragement to participate in youth sport from parents, and sport expectations of adolescent athletes and their parents living in the United States of America. A questionnaire was administered to 426 adolescent athletes who competed in youth sport leagues and to one parent within each family unit (n=426). Chi square analysis indicated significant relationships between athletes’ gender and the gender of their role model and between parents’ gender and the gender of their role model (p = .0001). DM MANOVA revealed a significant multivariate difference for adolescent athletes and their parents on the questions concerning expectations for future athletic success. Post hoc analyses indicated that the athletes were more likely than their parents to believe that they could play at the college, Olympic, or professional levels. In addition, boys were more likely than girls to believe that they could play at the college, Olympic, and professional levels.
Craig Hyatt, Shannon Kerwin, Larena Hoeber, and Katherine Sveinson
assignment of codes and development of emergent themes ( MacQueen, McLellan-Lemal, Bartholow, & Milstein, 2008 ). Data collection stopped after 20 interviews because we reached the point of theoretical saturation, whereby each new interview added less and less to our understanding of parenting and sport
Camilla J. Knight
parents and sport organizations. Recommendations and considerations for practice are described next, organized at the individual, relational, and cultural levels. Individual Consideration It is important to consider parents as diverse, with, among others, different reasons for supporting their children
Katherine Sveinson and Kim Toffoletti
women may experience as consumers. Families and Sport Fandom Research regarding the role of families in sport fandom has placed emphasis on the influence and relationships between parenting and sport fandom. Studies have explored European and North American contexts with regard to how relationships
