Assessing the Need for Eradicating Tiger Parenting in Youth Sports

Effects on Young Athletes' Well-being

Abstract

In recent years, there's been a surge of athletes bravely stepping into the spotlight to share their battles with mental health. Specifically, in the article, Thompson: Simone Biles and the most human meaning of courage, Simone Biles, a highly decorated American gymnast, highlights how external pressures contributed to her anxiety about competing in the Olympics and took a toll on her mental health as a whole (Thompson, 2022). In a similar way, many other famous athletes have revealed they have struggled with their mental well-being, but what is a common cause for this mental distress among these athletes? One significant factor that is often overlooked in regards to contributing to poor mental health is the impact that strict parenting in sports throughout childhood can have on the mental stability of athletes. This strict parenting style is also commonly known as “tiger parenting”, and is characterized by parents who place high expectations and push their children to excel at all costs. The term tiger parenting was first coined by Amy Chua, a Yale Law School professor and a mother who raised her children with strict Confucianist techniques, in her book called, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” (Chua, 2011). Since the book’s publication in 2011, there has been an increased popularity of tiger parenting and awareness of the adverse impacts it can have on children. This elicits the question: how does the prevalence of tiger parenting in youth sports impact the well-being of young athletes? The strongest arguments for eradicating tiger parenting from youth sports (under the age of 18) is the negative impact it can have on an adolescent athlete’s mental health, motivation, and relationship with their parents.