Sport Psychologist’s Digest

The goal of this study was to describe patterns in the dynamics of families of talented junior athletes throughout their development. Parents, athletes, and siblings from four families were interviewed. The interviews focused on how family members adapted to the motivation, effort, and resource demands that often constrain the development of talent in sport. The results permitted the identification of three phases of sport participation from early childhood to late adolescence: the sampling years, the specializing years, and the investment years. Various events and family conditions that might have influenced children’s involvement and achievement in sport are outlined for each stage of sport participation.