The Relationship between Parental Involvement and High School Athletes' Performance and Enjoyment

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the relationship between parental feedback to high school children and athletic performance and enjoyment, respectively. Procedures: Electronic questionnaires were distributed to adults who majored in Exercise Science or participated in the Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University. A total of 139 responses from post-high school athletes across 18 different sports were received. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in sport performance across the categories of parental feedback, (F (1, 2) = 0.652, p > .05). There was also no statistically significant relationship between parental feedback and enjoyment of high school sports, (𝝌2 (4) = 3.051, p > .05). Conclusion: Previous studies demonstrated a positive relationship between parents and their young children’s enjoyment and performance in their sport. This study revealed this impact tends to dissipate when their children reach high school.