Transitioning athletes to high-performance sport: the role of parenting and coaching environments across genders and sport types

Abstract

The transition from junior to high-performance sport is a critical phase in an athlete's career, often characterized by increased training demands, competitive pressure, psychological stress, and the risk of burnout. Effective parental support and coaching environments are essential for facilitating successful adaptation during this period. Previous studies have mainly focused on the psychological outcomes associated with motivational climates; however, limited research has explored gender-based and sport-specific differences in perceived support during career transitions. Therefore, this study aimed to (a) compare gender-based differences in perceptions of parental and coaching support, (b) examine sport-specific variations in support climates, and (c) identify the key support factors influencing athletes during the transition phase. A total of 120 national-level male and female athletes aged 16–20 years participated in this cross-sectional study, representing cricket, football, basketball, athletics, judo, and kalarippayattu. Parental involvement was assessed using the Parental Involvement in Sport Questionnaire (PISQ), while the coaching climate was evaluated using the Motivational Climate Scale for Youth Sports (MCSYS). Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze differences across gender and sport types. No statistically significant gender differences were observed across any parenting or coaching climate dimensions (p > 0.05). Female athletes reported slightly higher mean scores in Active Involvement and Directive Behavior, while male athletes showed marginally higher scores in Praise and Understanding and Mastery Initiative; however, these differences were not significant. In contrast, the sport-specific analysis revealed a significant difference in Mastery Initiative (F = 3.008, p = 0.013), with football athletes reporting the highest scores and judo and kalarippayattu athletes reporting lower values. The findings suggest a broad consistency in how parenting and coaching climates are perceived across genders, indicating that gender may not play a significant role in support experiences during athletic transitions. However, sport-specific differences in mastery-oriented climates point to the impact of coaching philosophies and training structures. These results highlight the importance of encouraging athlete-centered coaching approaches that prioritize skill development and intrinsic motivation, especially in sports where mastery climates are less evident. Future research should examine these relationships through longitudinal and multi-stakeholder approaches.