Family Practices and Youth Sport

Abstract

Youth sport is not simply a youth-oriented phenomenon. Children’s activities also take up a significant part of a family’s leisure time with Hofferth and Sandberg (2001) estimating that organised youth sport takes up between 5–6.5 hours per week among children aged 6–12 (cited in Brown, 2018: 1501). Children’s participation in sport inevitably involves some form of parental participation as well; whether that be providing transport, economic support, or spectating at training and matches. Indeed, while parents are mindful that quality family time with children is imperative, much of their leisure time is actually spent servicing the needs of their children (and not necessarily in whole family pursuits) (Sparrman et al., 2016). Parents also represent a large volunteer workforce for sport all around the world: their in-kind contribution represents a de facto subsidy, without which many children would simply not be able to continue their participation (Brackenridge, 2006). Therefore, given their outlay of time, energy and money, Brown (2018: 1499) asks: ‘is it possible that parents could (and maybe even should) get something out of this?’.