Youth sports in many countries help develop some of the greatest athletes in the world. Joining a youth sport program, whether male or female, will define a young person for life. But do youth sports only affect the child? Having a child in a youth sport program shapes and defines the entire family surrounding that individual. Once a child is in youth sports, the program will begin to take shape in the entire family’s life.

It all begins with putting a child into a sport. This is usually derived from a sport where the parent(s) has an interest “With regard to sport, parents typically make the initial decision to enroll their children (Howard & Madrigal, 1990) and have a significant impact on many of the positive outcomes of their child's sport participation (Horn & Harris, 1996). For example, a child's initial perceived sport competence, a key factor for enduring involvement and enjoyment in sport for young children, is derived from two sources: successful task completion and parent perception of sport ability (Horn & Harris, 1996).” (kanters, m. (2002, december). parents and youth sports. parks and recreation, 37.12(), 20-28.)

Many thanks do go out to the parents and families that work with the youth of particular youth program. Some in part to the dedication the families put into the kids going to the games and practices. Some in part to the extra time put into raising money, working events, and all the other matters that go into the programs. One of the things people don’t realize is that in having a youth in sports is slowly changes a household. “These changes align with decades of developmental research describing socialization as a dynamic and reciprocal process whereby individuals learn and enact the norms, values, and behavior appropriate to their social environment” (Belsky, 1984; Parke & Buriel, 2006). At first it