Must We Control Every Detail? Beliefs Among Parents of Elite Soccer Players

This study explores how parents cope with the adversities associated with their children’s soccer development, in order to identify adaptive response patterns to help them provide better support. Participants comprised 11 fathers and 15 mothers (N = 26) of student soccer players in the youth category of two first division soccer clubs. Four focus groups were conducted to identify the situations most frequently experienced as adverse. These were analysed using a deductive approach, employing the GABCDE framework integral to Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). The results showed that, on the field, the most significant adversity was the risk or presence of injury. In this context, the most adaptive belief was: “We try to do all that we can, but we don’t have to be the perfect parent(s) to the perfect soccer player” , associated with competencies such as emotional regulation, compassion, and assertive communication. Off the field, the most prominent adversity arose at the end of the season, when it was time to decide whether or not to stay on at the club. The most adaptive belief was: “sport forms part of their development, whether or not they go on to become professionals” , reflecting higher tolerance of uncertainty, emotional acceptance and balanced support. These findings reveal adaptive REBT-based coping strategies for the family setting. Moreover, they offer greater understanding of the individual and collective nature of beliefs, and of the role of the family in providing a protective (or unsafe) environment in the context of elite sport.