Forcing, pushing, encouraging, or accepting? Parental dilemmas when teenagers seek to disengage from organised youth sport
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Before teenagers decide to disengage from organised youth sport, parents often face multiple dilemmas as they navigate their child’s contemplation of disengagement. This study explores parents’ perceptions of ideals and dilemmas inherent in these disengagement situations. Based on focus group interviews with parents of teenagers transitioning from lower- to upper-secondary school in Norway, we employed an abductive approach, integrating theoretical knowledge to inform our interpretation. Our analysis generated three primary themes: (i) The perceived value of sport, where parents generally viewed sport participation as beneficial for fun, social engagement, and a healthy lifestyle, while also acting as a protective factor against potentially unhealthy behaviours; (ii) Dilemmas in interpreting disengagement situations, as parents struggled to discern temporary challenges from genuine, long-term disinterest in sport; and (iii) Dilemmas in parental responses, as parents balanced respecting autonomy with a sense of responsibility to encourage continued engagement, believing in long-term benefits. The data from this study suggest that the parents in this sample navigated disengagement through a distinct two-step process: First, they sought to communicate and collaborate with their children to understand their perspective. Second, they utilised strategies based on that understanding to facilitate continued engagement. These insights illustrate a specific mode of parental involvement and serve as a foundation for future research to examine how these strategies might differ or adapt across diverse socio-economic contexts and more complex disengagement scenarios.
Source: Sport Education and Society
Authors: B. E. Solstad, M. Hordvik, Å. Strandbu, M. Bentzen
Institutions: University of Agder, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
Language: English
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7130653095