Abstract

This article examines the impact travel sports have on adult participants. Parents of travel team players are expected to attend team meetings, be present at practices and training sessions year-round, and chaperone their sons and daughters to tournaments that may take place hours from their homes. As a result of the significant amount of time parents invest in their children’s sports activities, other travel team parents often become a social anchor of their lives. Our analysis of youth sports parents highlights the sense of satisfaction that many adults from what is, on the surface, a child-centered activity, and also explores the difficulties faced by parents who are not eager to devote their social lives to the travel team. Understanding the social bonds that develop among youth sports parents helps to explain the often intense commitment many adults make to their children’s sports teams.

摘要

本文探讨了旅行运动对成年参与者的影响。旅行团队球员的父母应参加团队会议，全年参加练习和训练课程，并陪伴他们的儿子和女儿参加可能在他们家几个小时内举行的锦标赛。由于父母在孩子的体育活动上投入了大量时间，其他旅行团队的父母往往成为他们生活的社会支柱。我们对青少年体育家长的分析从表面上看是一项以儿童为中心的活动，凸显了许多成年人的满足感，同时也探讨了那些不愿将社交生活投入到旅行团队中的家长所面临的困难。