Why psychological safety matters for parents
The demands of sport are high for a young athlete and getting enough support is crucial. The biggest support system lies with parents as they are the most consistent source of support for athletes throughout their career. Understanding what kind of environment is safe for them and what enables them to thrive will allow you, as parents to help facilitate that environment.
No matter what is going in training, parents act as a buffer and have a role in developing coping mechanisms and tools for their athletes, particularly if they are not receiving appropriate support in training.
Lastly, parents have a duty of care to look out for their children and recognise abnormal behaviour in the sporting environment. In an elite level environment, parents too can be swept up in the 'win-at-all-cost' narrative, normalising potentially harmful behaviours. Alternatively, parents may fear speaking up in fear of jeopardising their athlete's career. As such, understanding what psychological safety looks like for your child and their environment and how you can help support them is essential to help ensure their wellbeing and ultimately, their sustained performance.
What the research tells us
In elite sport environments where there is high pressure, high stress, potentially harmful behaviours and injury, the need for a strong support system, particularly parental support, is crucial.
A strong support system has been linked with better wellbeing, increased resilience when faced with adversity, and better stress management in training, competition and retirement.
Athletes who reported feeling psychologically unsafe in their sporting environment were better able to manage when parental support was present, whereas when that support was absent, athletes who felt unsafe developed more maladaptive coping mechanisms (disordered eating, self-harm & emotional suppression).
Parental warmth, unconditional support, and interest in the child's experience (rather than results) are associated with higher intrinsic motivation and longer participation in sport.
How Creating Space can help
Creating Space works with parents to build a genuine understanding of what psychological safety looks like in sport and why it matters for their child's wellbeing and performance. Rather than placing blame or adding pressure, we help parents feel informed and equipped to play a meaningful role in their child's sporting experience.
We help parents understand the difference between normal challenges in sport and behaviours that fall outside what is appropriate, so that they feel confident to recognise and respond when something does not feel right. Knowing what to look for and feeling empowered to speak up is an important part of the parental role, particularly in high-performance environments where harmful behaviours can become normalised.
Creating Space also supports parents in building a safe and open environment at home, where their child feels comfortable talking about what is happening in training and competition. Encouraging voice, validating feelings, and creating space for honest conversation are some of the most powerful things a parent can do to support their child's psychological safety.
For athletes who may not be receiving the support they need within their club or team environment, we work with parents to develop practical coping tools and strategies that can help their child manage the pressures of sport with greater resilience and confidence.
Outcomes
- A clear understanding of what psychological safety means in sport and what it looks like for their child
- Confidence in recognising the difference between normal sporting challenges and behaviours that are not appropriate
- The ability to speak up and advocate for their child when something does not feel right
- Practical skills for creating a safe, open environment at home where their child feels heard and supported
- Tools to encourage voice and build their child's confidence in speaking up in their sporting environment
- Coping mechanisms and strategies to help their child manage pressure and adversity, particularly when club support is limited