LAUSR

Abstract Objective This study was designed to identify parents’ competitive stressors in German elite youth soccer academies as well as their stressor-specific appraisals and emotions. Design and method 330 parents (Mage = 46.0, SD = 6.2 years) completed a mixed-method online survey to indicate stressors encountered at their child’s competitions. Parental self-disclosed stressors were analyzed using qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2014). Psychometric assessment of parents’ primary and secondary appraisal (PASA; Gaab, 2009) and emotions (SEQ; Jones et al., 2005) were subsequently used to conduct a stressor-specific analysis. Results and conclusion Frequency analysis yielded 831 competitive stressors of which the majority (47%) pertained to the own child, followed by those concerning other soccer parents (18%) or the child’s coach (15%). Univariate Analysis of Variance revealed coach-related stressors to be perceived significantly more as a challenge (primary appraisal) in contrast to situations with other soccer parents. Parents’ competency beliefs (secondary appraisal) were highest for stressors involving other soccer parents. Multivariate Analysis of Variance showed a significant difference in parents’ emotional experiences with coach-related stressors eliciting the highest anger scores. Parents’ stress experiences were characterized by circular causality and interdependency, suggesting a relational approach to stress for future studies. Implications are discussed to further guide theoretical advancements in the field of parental stress as well as to shape interactions and relationships within academy youth soccer.