Extended Deadline, Special issue of Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology: Parenting in Sport

Submission Deadline: January 31st 2015

Guest Editors: Chris Harwood and Camilla Knight

The editorial staff of the APA Division 47 (Sport and Exercise Psychology) journal, Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, is extending an invitation for manuscripts to be considered for a special issue on parenting in sport. Drs. Chris Harwood and Camilla Knight have agreed to serve as our guest editors.

The last decade of research in sport psychology has reflected a growing interest in the factors associated with parenting in sport. Studies have taken child and coach-centric perspectives to investigate both the antecedents and consequences of parental involvement. What emerges from such research are insights into the positive and negative effects of parental influence through the practices, behaviours, and styles adopted. More recently, scholars have begun to explore the experiences and views of parents themselves, including their development from parent to sport parent. This literature has underscored the complex demands facing sport parents and the potential range of knowledge and skills that are required to facilitate optimal experiences for children, and other stakeholders.

The role of the parent in competitive sport is highly topical, yet our scholarly understanding of parents in varying contexts, sports, and cultures remains relatively narrow. Addressing the specific needs of parents and understanding their experiences in supporting their child-athlete through different developmental phases or critical moments is important. An understanding of the factors that influence the sport parenting experience and parental involvement in competitive sport is also needed. Further, evidence-based interventions focused on optimising parents’ involvement, behavior and well-being remain limited and such interventions would appear timely.

This special issue is therefore devoted to enhancing the professional knowledge base and understanding related to the needs and experiences of parents supporting their children in a variety of competitive sports and cultures, as well as through specific transitions and critical moments. Papers are particularly welcome if they:

1. Focus on the parent and parental needs and outcomes that inform their sporting role ( i.e., data from parents about parents).
2. Provide in-depth understanding of specific developmental stages or levels of sport and consider parenting across the lifespan (i.e., parenting of adult, professional or retiring athletes)
3. Investigate the dynamics of spousal relationships (mother-father) and its meaning for differing parent-child relations (e.g., mother-son, father-daughter etc)
4. Consider how specific individual, social or environmental factors influence parenting in sport (e.g., previous sporting history; family configuration; sport organisational structure and policy)
5. Utilize theory to better understand the factors contributing to parents involvement in sport
6. Examine parenting in different cultural contexts and populations, or compare between cultures.
7. Involve an intervention focused on enhancing or optimizing parental involvement in sport