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P A R T 4
Socialization Agents in Sports

Stevenson (1990), in his study examining the careers of athletes, stated that “particularly in early
childhood, parents play an important role for many athletes in this process”. For this reason, having an
important family member who supports, encourages and is a role model in physical activity increases the
probability of children participating in sports. Wheeler (2012) states that even parents who are not active
athletes but are sensitive to sports contribute to the emergence of sportive tendencies in their children.
Parents' past sports experiences, their level of knowledge about sports, their goals and expectations shape
their children's approach to sports participation (Dorsch et al., 2015; Knight et al., 2016). The findings of
Dunn et al. (2016) show that the economic expenditures of parents can increase children's perceptions of
pressure, and as a result, they can affect their participation in sports.
Coaches and Teachers
The ability of the individual, environmental factors and the effect of other important people on individuals
shape the process of participation in sports. This one-way process shows that we are a product of society
and that we are shaped from the outside (Stroot, 2001). Since trainers and physical education teachers
tend to play a central role in the sports environment, they have a very important role in the participation of
individuals in sports. Smith and Smoll (1990) found a significant interaction between coaches' support and
athletes' self-esteem. Children, especially those with low self-esteem, are sensitive to the encouragement
and supportive behavior of their coaches. Because high self-esteem is sought in a sporting context, coaches
must be prepared to exhibit behaviors that will increase children's sense of self-worth.
Peers/Friends
As children get older, other children begin to have a greater influence than the family. In the studies
conducted by Horn and Hasbrook (1987) and Horn and Weiss (1991), it is stated that an 8-year-old child
relies on adults as a source of information to assess his physical adequacy, but at the age of 10-14 he
experiences a developmental change and starts to see his peers as a source of information more important.
As children get older, peers have a more important influence than family. Around the age of 10, children
begin to compare themselves with others, and physical ability becomes an important criterion for these
comparisons. As peers become more important, children and adolescents begin to value their perceptions
and use the knowledge they have acquired in their peers to help form their own perceptions of their
physical competence. Through this comparison, when interacting in a social context, children assess their
own strengths and limitations compared to their peers. Children who are more proficient in physical skills
tend to be more popular with their peers than children who are not.

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