Critical reflections on sport and the family

This chapter provides a conceptual and theoretical overview of the relationship between the family and sport applying a critical social justice lens to examining the relationship between family and youth sport participation, particularly considering what happens when families are unable to provide support for their children and the implications of this for policy and practice. The first part of the chapter examines the exclusionary nature of sport and how this may mediate the participation of diverse families, examining the role that families can play in creating social change and challenging exclusion in sport. The latter part of the chapter examines the ways in which sport contributes to family dynamics and considers how it provides a context through which parents can enact both positive and negative parenting discourses. The chapter will critically examine these themes to provide a detailed exploration of the connections between the family, social justice, and sport.