Preliminary communication

YOUNG ATHLETES’ PARENTS AS PART OF SPORTS AUDIENCE

Miloš Marković orcid.org/0000-0001-9150-0390 ; Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade
Živko Misirača ; Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade
Branka Savović ; Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade
Sandra Radenović orcid.org/0000-0002-0979-421X ; Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade

Abstract

Physical activity is exceptionally significant for a child’s regular growth and
development and it should be practiced from the earliest age. The importance
of physical activity is further accentuated in modern society’s living conditions.
Technology is becoming increasingly present and children’s movement is
brought to a minimum. Therefore, children are included in the system of sport,
where competition occupies a central role. Parents frequently attend children’s
training and competitions. The goal of this paper was to determine the influence
of parents as part of the sports audience on children who practice sport. The
authors wanted to ascertain the extent to which parents arrive at their child’s
training and matches in order to provide support, in what measure they
interfere with the coach’s work in training and matches and whether they punish
their child if it makes a mistake in a competition. Also, one of the tasks was
to determine parents’ opinion on whether insulting referees from the stands
is a form of violence and to establish to what extent they give themselves the
right to argue with referees during a children’s game. Two hundred and fiftyfive
parents of children from five different sports, all of whom completed a
survey, participated in the research. It was established that parents, in large part,
interfere with the coach’s work during training and matches, despite most of
them replying that the coach is competent to do his job in a satisfactory manner.
Regarding pressure that is put on children, a small percentage of parents punish
their child if it makes a mistake. What should be a cause for concern is the reply
of a large number of parents that insulting referees is not a form of violence and
that they consider it a normal phenomenon, as well as the fact that one-third of
the respondents had witnessed an argument between parents of opposing teams
at the stands, an occurrence which is, unfortunately, becoming increasingly
present at children competitions.

Keywords

children; parents; competition; sports audience

Hrčak ID:

249710

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/249710

Publication date:

6.12.2020.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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