AbstractsPsychology

As athletic competition at all levels has become more prominent over the last 10-15 years, so has the involvement of parents in many aspects (Frankl, 2004). The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts that parental actions have on the athletic experience of their children at the college level. This study involved 108 student-athletes and 17 coaches, at an NCAA Division III school, who completed separate questionnaires sharing their perspectives on parental involvement, ranging from past experiences to present-day situations in college. The findings may be useful in helping administrators at post-secondary schools identify various trends, enhance the student-athlete/coach experience and better solve potential issues in the future. Results mostly aligned with past research, suggesting that coaches view parents slightly less favorably, and more realistically, than student-athletes do, although the total results were fairly positive in most areas.