All in the family: A collective case study of family influence on siblings’ experiences and outcomes in organized youth sport

The influence of families on siblings’ experiences and outcomes has been well documented outside of sport, with research dedicated to topics such as socialization, relationship quality, adjustment, resource dilution, and behavioral genetics. While these associations are understood in reference to the immediate family context, sibling dynamics are less understood in the context of youth sport. This is important because sport represents the most common extracurricular activity in which siblings participate together. Guided by family systems theory, Dorsch and colleagues’ (2022) integrated model of the youth sport system, and a social constructivist epistemology, the present study was designed to understand the interactions that take place across multiple family relationships and how these relationships impact siblings’ experiences and outcomes in organized youth sport. Twelve intact families, each consisting of two parents and two siblings, who were engaged in organized youth sport in the United States, participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. More than nine hours of interviews were conducted across these 48 participants.Three researchers engaged in the coding process, which informed the creation of case narratives for each of the 12 families. Interpretation of the case narratives led to the development of nine general themes regarding sibling relationships in youth sport. Of note, a unique pathway of influence was also recognized, wherein parents expressed support for their children’s pursuit of their own niche/identity in youth sport. Future theoretically informed research should be designed to investigate specific individual, dyadic, and family processes that influence sibling experiences and outcomes in youth sport, offering further insight into the complex and dynamic interactions that occur within and across families.