Building a sporting nation begins at home

Family support strongly influences youth participation in sport and physical activity.

Hennessy et al. (2010) found that children of accommodating parents had more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than children of uninvolved parents. Additionally, Kim and Saelens (2021) show that emotional and instrumental support, such as paying registration fees and driving to practices, are just as important to sustaining youth physical activity.

Dukes and Coakley (2002) state that parents’ approach to swimming increased when they believed it positively impacted children’s development. They also cautioned that parental competitiveness and zeal can be harmful, as they can lead to over training and burnout in youth. Additionally, Ntalachani et al. (2025) and Knoester & Egerton (2025) argue that parents must manage their own expectations, which can at times be excessive, as well as the child’s athletic ability.

Kremer-Sadlik and Kim (2007) stated that parents’ influence on children’s participation in sport and physical activity goes beyond organised sport. They claimed that other sporting contexts, such as informal settings where backyard activities take place, and passive participation in sport activities, such as engaging in conversations during televised games, are important in children’s overall socialisation toward sport and physical activity. Additionally, they noted that parents must demonstrate positive character-building and leadership traits that children can incorporate into every aspect of their daily lives.

Although they recognised the importance of social class, Kremer-Sadlik and Kim (2007) further argued that family culture is critical to children’s predisposition toward participation in sport and physical activity. They concluded that if families do not encourage participation in sport and physical activity in childhood, attempts of involvement in adulthood will be challenging. McCree (2016) states that local families—both single-parent and nuclear structures—provide essential material, emotional, and moral support for youth sports participation. Additionally, Thomas et al. (2019) assert that a strong, functional social support network, beginning in the family home, is vital for long-term athlete retention and engagement.

These studies show that family engagement and support are important for early youth participation in sport and physical activity, as well as for staying involved into post-adolescence. In Trinidad and Tobago, this family dynamic sits right at the heart of our local communities. From driving children to early morning swim practice to cheering at primary and secondary school games, parents are the primary drivers of active living.

Research is required to fully understand how family influences participation in sports and physical activity. For example, what role does the family play in influencing whether children participate in a youth football academy at Macaulay Park, California, every Saturday morning, take part in primary school track and field, or attend swimming classes at a public pool?

The findings will benefit the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (MSYA), the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), and community sports clubs striving to promote stronger family involvement in children’s sporting lives. Therefore, it can be hypothesised that a stronger parental involvement in school and community sports is raison d’être for establishing a healthy sporting and physical activity culture in T&T.

The UWI St Augustine Academy of Sport (SAAS) in the Faculty of Sport is positioned to work assiduously with all stakeholders to collect and analyse data scientifically, supporting policy formulation and implementation and building a sustainable sporting culture from the ground up.