Practitioner Characteristics, Peer Consultation, and Self-Care

Professional practice within applied sport psychology provides the practitioner with several unique challenges in comparison to more traditional psychological practice settings. Differences include client characteristics, the range of roles and services provided, non-traditional work environments and frequent travel. To work successfully within this context, the current chapter will discuss personal characteristics and qualities of the practitioner which have been identified from the perspective of the client, as well as by practitioners themselves. The ethical considerations and challenges faced by practitioners working within the sport environment can be as numerous and diverse as the range of roles and services they provide. The current chapter will outline the role of peer consultation as a tool to ensure (i) professional support, (ii) professional accountability, and (iii) adherence to ethical guidelines. Finally, the self-care strategies employed by practitioners to meet the challenges faced while working in applied sport psychology will also be discussed

"Supporting my daughter, the best way I can”: Parental support in youth golf

Burgess et al. (Citation2016) emphasized the importance of parental support in youth sports as they provide financial, informational, and emotional support to the youth-athlete. Parents also play a “significant role in shaping youth sport experiences” (Sheridan et al., Citation2014, p. 198). Research around parental support has been conducted in sports such as tennis, gymnastics, and football. The aim of the present study was to examine the parents’ perspective of parental support in female youth golf, exploring how they support their female youth golfers, and if the support changes through their child’s development. Twenty-two semi structured interviews were conducted with parents (14 fathers, 10 mothers) of high-performance female golfers in the specializing or investment stages of Côté’s (Citation1999) DMSP. Participants were recruited from six countries (England, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada). Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, Citation2012) six higher order themes were identified, namely, parental support: emotional, practical, technical, financial, organizational, and reflective support. The results align with the grounded theory of parental support (Burke et al., Citation2023a) providing an insight into the parents’ perspective of providing support aligning with informational, emotional, and instrumental support of the theory. Furthermore, the current research presented novel findings regarding reflective support that parents provide. Findings highlighted that parental support changed depending on temporal differences (place in the golf season) and their daughter’s development. The present research reinforces the need to provide support programs for parents based on their needs, rather than programs designed from a governing body or coaches perspective

Athletes’ Perceptions of Unsupportive Parental Behaviours in Competitive Female Youth Golf

Research exploring athletes and coaches’ perceptions of parent involvement in youth sport has demonstrated the presence of maladaptive parent involvement in youth sport. This research has provided insights into inappropriate parenting practices displayed in the youth sport environment. However, representative of the broader sport parenting literature, data has been primarily gleaned from sports such as tennis and football. In a bid to diversify participant populations, the present study sought to examine female youth golfers’ views of unsupportive parental behaviors within the competitive youth golf environment. Fourteen online synchronous focus groups were conducted with 61 female youth golfers in the specializing (n = 27) and investment (n = 34) stages of development, recruited from seven countries across three continents (Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland). Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three higher-order categories of unsupportive parental behaviors: Emotional Ill-Treatment; Physical Ill-Treatment; and Pressurizing Behavior. Parenting practices consistent with emotional ill-treatment (e.g., verbal ill-treatment) have been previously discussed within the sport parenting literature, however the presence of physical ill-treatment displayed by parents toward child-athletes has not been commonly reported. The present research provides novel insights into athletes’ perceptions of these maladaptive behaviors, and demonstrates that, similar to other youth sports, unsupportive parental behaviors are evident in the youth golf environment. The findings of the current research further reinforce the need for reporting mechanisms for allegations of abuse within youth sport, continued stakeholder education, the development of safeguarding cultures, and also the need to explore parents’ experiences of exhibiting maladaptive involvement. Lay summary: Female youth golfers’ views of unsupportive parental behaviors in the specializing and investment stages of development were explored. Three higher order categories of unsupportive parental behaviors in competitive youth golf were identified: Emotional Ill-Treatment; Physical Ill-Treatment; and Pressurizing Behavior.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Findings highlight the need for applied practitioners to work with sport organizations in developing and implementing holistic safeguarding cultures, to prevent child maltreatment in youth sport. Findings can be utilized by applied practitioners, governing bodies, and sport organizations to inform the content of future educational resources and programs for parents of youth golfers,.</p