An exploratory qualitative investigation of psychosocial determinants of parental decisions to support sport participation for youth with a mobility impairment

Celina H. Shirazipour, Amy E. Latimer-Cheung, Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volumes 45–46, October–November 2015, Pages 400-410, ISSN 0891-4222, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2015.08.001.

Compared to parents of non-athletes, parents of athletes identified different, more specific positive outcome expectations, including: being included and family networking. First, while parents of non-athletes viewed inclusion as a social benefit, half of parents of athletes stated that inclusion through sport and being part of the mainstream were important benefits in their own rights, providing distinct outcomes including a sense of normalcy. Second, half of the parents of athletes identified the family benefit of networking with other families. The family network developed within the sport organization provided opportunities to share their enjoyment of their children’s participation, discuss impairment concerns, and gain knowledge from others’ experiences.


 Source:  An exploratory qualitative investigation of psychosocial determinants of parental decisions to support sport participation for youth with a mobility impairment