05.24.14

Sports, Spending, and Stress

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlights the growing pressures athletic youth are facing as their parents pour more and more money into their sport.  While parental support in general is critical for helping children achieve success, greater parental spending is actually associated with lower levels of young-athlete enjoyment and motivation.  The root cause of this problem is not the money itself. Rather, as parental sport spending increases, parental expectations also grow.  Parents may begin to expect a return on their “investment” which may cause them to exert pressure on their child. 

 

Full article:  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303851804579558103723377142