Coping in sport (Gaudreau & Blondin, 2002)
No single coping strategy is universally effective or ineffective; different situations call for different coping strategies

However, task-oriented, engagement coping strategies tend to be associated with more positive outcomes for young athletes

• Task-oriented coping/engagement coping
  • Asking for advice
  • Thinking positively
  • Imagery/self-talk
  • Relaxation/anxiety control/deep breathing
  • Logically analyzing the problem, opponent’s strengths and weaknesses
• Disengagement-oriented coping
  • Feeling hopeless and discouraged
  • Wishful thinking
  • Avoiding others (coach, teammates, parents)
• Distraction-oriented coping
  • Thinking about other things
  • Listening to music to avoid thinking about situation

Strategies for parents to help athletes learn to cope with stress in sport (Tamminen & Holt, 2014)

• Create a supportive environment
• Focus on questioning and reminding, rather than telling and directing
• Provide perspective and share experiences
• Use stressors as learning opportunities
• Make time for informal conversations about coping
• Foster reflective practice among athletes
  • Ask athletes to think about their coping effort and to identify what has worked and what hasn’t worked

Navigating the car ride home (Tamminen, Poucher, & Povilaitis, 2017)

• Take time to think (for both parents and children/athletes)
• De-emphasize performance outcomes like wins and losses
• Use questions in a supportive manner
• Develop ‘rules of the road’
• Ask yourself what values you are promoting with your questions and comments
• Be positive and supportive

How can clubs and teams support positive sport parenting?

• Engage parents in positive ways
• Model appropriate behaviours
• Keep messages consistent
  • Face to face and email
  • Website, social media, newsletters
• A team meeting is a great way to start the season
• Communicate throughout the season to build parents’ knowledge around LTAD (Long Term Athlete Development), their child’s sport and the role of a parent
• Celebrate sport parents as essential to the enjoyment and success of children/athletes
• Celebrate sport parents’ volunteer contributions as essential to the club’s operations
• Know that positive coaching behaviours can compensate for parent behaviours that are negative and controlling
• Make use of existing free resources including:
  • Active for Life
    • Parents in Sport Toolkit
    • Sport Toolkit
  • Sport for Life
    • Quality Sport

Many thanks to both of our Parents in Sport Week webinar presenters: