In a small town in a Canadian prairie province where spots, particularly football and basketball, are the chief activities, many young men in school define their self-worth based on their thletic ability. To determine the impact that sports had on the young men in this particular town, 20 boys between the ages of 15 and 19 were selected for interviews. Due to the importance placed upon sports in the school and the small size of the school, all 20 of the boys had some association with football and basketball. They either played on one of the sports teams but spent much of the time sitting on the bench, or they desired to play but failed to qualify for team play. Only one of the boys had never tried to play on one of the teams. The boys were interviewed about how they fit into the circle of sports and how their participation or non-participation has influenced them. It was determined that sports did influence their self-esteem. Many of the boys, both those who were part of the team and those who had been cut from the team, felt left out and began to dought their abilities and their worth. The study confirms much of the current literature. Recommendations include making coaches and administration aware that boys were being negatively influenced by a successful sports program, as well as calling for further research to determine the extent and depth of the negative influence of sports on boys who are not the stars of the team. / viii, 83 leaves ; 28 cm.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Human Performance / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Parent marital status is a highly influential variable within the family context, as it can serve as a protective factor in many ways. However, it can also be a risk factor for youth. Despite the large body of literature that delineates the benefits of sports participation and the negative outcomes associated with divorce, researchers have yet to examine the impact of athletic participation on youth who have experienced familial disruptions, such as divorce, separation, and remarriage. Sports participation was chosen as a moderating variable in the present study, as it is believed to serve as a protective factor for those who experience parental divorce. Specifically, the present study aims to answer the following research question: Does sports participation moderate the effects of parent marital status and belongingness on achievement and behavior problems after controlling for sex, socioeconomic status, and maternal education? Many theoretical mechanisms support the hypothesis that positive outcomes are be associated with sporting programs, such as Social Capital Theory, as well as theories associated with 7 motivation and belonging. This study analyzed data collected as part of the NICHDSECCYD comprehensive longitudinal study. Specifically, the effects of parent marital status and belongingness on academic achievement were analyzed in AMOS 22, using a multiple group path model with sports participation as a moderator. Although results did not support sports participation as a moderator, findings supported previous research that connects intact, two-parent marriages with positive outcomes for youth.

This investigation examined the relationships between parental involvement, peer-initiated climates, and perfectionism to goal orientation as well as children's enjoyment and the intention to continue playing sport in youth sport. Participants were 188 athletes, 100 boys (M = 12.06, SD = 1.06) and 88 girls (M = 12.18, SD = .73). The athletes completed the TEOSQ, Sport MPS, PIAS, and the PeerMCYSQ. Parental support and peer task environment was related to girls' and boy's task orientation. For boys, personal standards, parental pressure, and fewer concerns over mistakes, also were related to task orientation. Ego orientation was related to peer-initiated ego and task climates, for the boys. For the girls, higher personal standard was the only variable related to ego orientation. For enjoyment, task orientation was the strongest predictor for the girls and the only predictor for the boys for enjoyment. The fewer concerns girls had over mistakes the more enjoyment they reported. For girls and boys, intention to continue playing next season was predicted only by enjoyment. However, results were varied when intention to play next year was examined. For boys, no predictors were discovered whereas for girls, higher levels of enjoyment and task orientation, and lower levels of parental support and pressure related to intention.