Federated or Non-Federated Sports: The Influence on Children, the Youth Population and Family Life

Abstract

Family time must be combined with the personal time of each of its members, with special importance regarding children due to the need for attention and monitoring by parents of their performance. Within the leisure of minors in the home, physical activity and sports are the most in-demand typologies, thus some of them participate in federated clubs, attending a more institutionalized or professional sport, while others develop in an environment based on entertainment. In this way, depending on the demand for these activities, it leads to a series of different consequences in the family environment. The main objective of this study is to establish whether or not children’s attendance at federated sports affects family dynamics. A total of 224 Spanish families with children from 6 to 18 years of age who practice sport activities participated and completed a questionnaire with 36 items about the family’s involvement in children’s sports. The results show that parents with children participating in federated sports have a more positive perception of their children’s sports practices; they provide greater support to their children regarding their performance and see this activity as an excellent opportunity for education in values. However, they do identify it as an obstacle to the development of family leisure practices, resulting in an element that conditions family reconciliation. In this way, there is a need to establish alliances between families and sports professionals, providing family participation bodies in sports clubs and providing a better conciliation time to accommodate family time.

1. Introduction

The acknowledgement of leisure and sport as Spanish citizens’ fundamental rights is enshrined in the Constitution, specifically in article 43.3, which establishes that public powers have the responsibility of promoting physical education and sport, along with facilitating the appropriate use of leisure time [1]. Since then, the Spanish sports model has undergone numerous changes that have led to an increase in participation rates and social relevance. Thus, the institutions responsible have adapted to the new realities and emerging demands in the sports field, constantly adjusting and reviewing policies and regulations in this sector. The first democratic national Sports Law (1980) explicitly states the right of every citizen to know and practice sport, thus evincing the state’s commitment to promoting physical activity as an essential element for the comprehensive training and development of the individual, followed by, a decade later, Law 10/15 October 1990 on sports [2] and, finally, Law 39/2022 of December 30 on sports [3].

Now, although all these laws constitute a clear reflection of how the right to sport is consolidated in Spanish society, and how this practice is generalized among citizens acquiring a healthy lifestyle, there is a notable difference between elite sport professionalizing and sport as a voluntarily chosen leisure modality. It is defined as all types of physical activity that, through organized or other types of participation, have as their purpose the expression or improvement of physical and mental condition, the development of social relationships or the achievement of results in competitions at all levels. On the other hand, Sánchez Bañuelos [4] and Blázquez [5] refer to this type of sport as a competitive sport, pointing out that its objective is to overcome and defeat an opponent or oneself with the ambition of achieving great and important results. Based on this, a federated sport is understood as any physical activity developed in a sports club with a competitive interest in which the participants, either collectively or individually, contribute their collaboration to obtain an extrinsic reward, being a more habitual and recurrent practice than educational or recreational sport [6].

There are multiple social, personal and academic effects attributed to sports practice, whether it is federated or not, such as attitudes towards academic tasks, emotional management and regulation [6,7] and self-perception [8]. However, all this is largely conditioned by the impact that sporting practice generates on the family economy and therefore the support of families regarding the practice of the adolescent [9]. Additionally, the results obtained by Gené-Sampedro et al. [10] show that being federated means a significant increase in student motivation, especially female students, obtaining better academic results regardless of the type of sport they practice.

Similarly, it is widely recognized that practicing a sport in a continuous and organized manner requires high commitment, effort and dedication. Thus, training style and fear of failure are the two variables that affect the modulation of commitment. Therefore, coaches have to favor enthusiastic commitment in a way that favors integral development from a more effective and less controlling instructional model [11]. Thus, the impact of the controlling training style on athletes’ fear of failure is manifested through the modulation of commitment, favoring limited commitment instead of promoting enthusiastic commitment, which highlights the need for more effective approaches from coaches to guarantee the comprehensive development of athletes [11], and promote enthusiasm also from most everyday spheres and key references such as families.

It is widely recognized that athletes value both the coach, teammates and parents as key factors in their performance, recognizing that each has a different role in their sporting development [12]. So, coaches influence the autonomy of athletes more, peers influence competition and relationships and the family is the least studied, especially from a socio-educational and cultural perspective, which denotes the need for more research in this regard [13,14].

2. The Literature Review

Federated sport refers to the practice of sports organized and regulated through private sports federations, which are entities that group together clubs and sport associations of a specific discipline. These federations are responsible for establishing regulations, competition schedules and technical and refereeing rules, along with fostering the development and promotion of sport at all levels from grassroots to high performance. The structure of federated sport guarantees a hierarchical and organized system that facilitates competition at different levels (local, regional, national and international), ensuring homogeneity in practice and official recognition of competitions and their results. In conclusion, it implies an institutionalization of sport that has a more regulated and controlled sport practice [15].

Federated sports have been established as a form of institutionalization and sport regulation in which, in the last 20 years, there have been more than three million people federated in some sport discipline; nowadays, there are almost four-and-a-half million, which shows a growing sports reality. The same situation has occurred in the school population, which is increasingly involved in federated sports clubs and teams. This change is due to the advantages offered to a sports club, such as networking with other teams and legal advice or medical coverage in the events in which they participate. In conclusion, there is a way to create community from a sporting perspective. There are 66 sport federations that cover well-known disciplines such as soccer, basketball or athletics, along with other less popular ones such as billiards, colombiculture, petanque or shooting. Within each federation are included sports clubs of different levels, that is, some that participate in the elite along with others that develop sports at the popular level, so it can be established that it delimits the different levels of sporting involvement. For the inclusion of clubs in the federations, some requirements must be met, such as the payment of an annual fee according to the level of elitism of the team or the presence of regulatory papers.

It is based on this premise that federation sport for minors requires not only favorable personal conditions for its performance but also contextual conditions, especially family support and support from the team and coach. Based on the work carried out by Keegan et al. [12], the main role of the family is to support and facilitate the minor’s sports practice in aspects such as facilitating transfers, buying equipment and offering moral/emotional support. Almost all families are attentive to their son’s or daughter’s competition, they enjoy watching them compete because they consider it exciting and they encourage them, record them, take photos, etc. They also recognize that they are not objective, because it is difficult for them to identify the mistakes they make [16].

Regarding family support, there are three essential areas to consider, i.e., the role of federative sport on family organization [17,18], the impact of the family involvement and support received [14,19,20] (especially emphasizing the learning of values associated with sports practice [21,22]) and, finally, the effects that competitive sports practice has on the minor’s behavior [9,23].

2.1. The Influence of Federated Sports on Family Dynamics

Firstly, and more specifically, federated sport affects the family organization of the young athlete in various ways, which is why, according to Harwood and Knight [24], parents must learn to manage the organizational and developmental demands associated with sports participation and adapt their participation to the different stages of their child’s athletic career. So, to promote a healthy lifestyle that helps reduce obesity and obtain greater sports performance, the schedules and type of food consumed at home must be regulated, the use of digital devices controlled and a sedentary lifestyle prevented by encouraging daily exercise, all conditioned by the predominant parenting style [25]. Parents, in addition to being the main means of transportation and managing their children’s injuries when participating in elite sports, generally attend and must cover the high financial costs and end up putting pressure on minors, which affects their participation and enjoyment of the activity [17,25]. They also generally attend as spectators the entire competition in which the minors participate, which gives them feelings of satisfaction and well-being, except when they see their son/daughter suffering from something [16].

It has been confirmed by various studies that sports practice is one of the most popular and widely disseminated forms of leisure and entertainment among young adolescents, given the generalization of healthy lifestyle models and family dynamics [26,27]. Also noteworthy is the wide range of rural sports leisure activities such as hiking, climbing, rafting, zip lines, sports clubs, etc., which add to the rise that rural tourism has experienced with glamping (luxury campsites and unique accommodations in nature) that encourage outdoor leisure in contact with rural landscaping [28].

However, the commitment and dedication when the sporting activity is carried out in an organized federated way and in elite competition is so high that it significantly affects the rest of the leisure modalities [29]. In fact, despite the multiple health benefits derived from physical activity, recent studies reveal that there are high dropout rates (around 35%) and difficulties in reaching the recommended levels, with lack of time and the feeling of fatigue as the most significant factors. In short, family life collapses, reducing the possibilities of carrying out other family leisure activities, along with attending common obligations, such as caring for and maintaining order and cleanliness at home [30], or personal obligations, such as conciliation with study time that guarantees good expectations in school performance [16]. Thus, changes in lifestyle upon entering university and during student life also influence the valuation of other activities, which may affect students’ willingness to dedicate time to physical activity.

In addition to taking responsibility for managing and supporting their children’s needs, parents must learn to care for their own well-being and manage their interactions with others in the youth sports environment, especially with the coach [24]. As a consequence, some studies point out the relationship between federated youth sports and parents’ mental health, as they experience more life stress, greater pressure to manage time and less psychological distress compared with parents of non-athletic adolescents [18,31], which denotes the difficulties that families have in reconciling these types of activities.

2.2. The Importance of Family Involvement in Federated Sports for Children

On the other hand, youth federation sport is conditioned by the family involvement and support it receives. One of the crucial aspects in supporting young athletes is the importance that parents attribute to their participation in sport, including their opinions on the value of sport, their children’s participation and the balance between sport and studies, along with their satisfaction with the sports programs available in the community and the presence of sports schools in the chosen sport [16]. For Harwood and Knight [24], this implication consists of parents knowing how to select appropriate sport opportunities and provide the necessary types of support, apply appropriate parenting styles, manage emotional demands and foster healthy relationships with significant others, especially the coach. In this sense, the family emerges as a fundamental pillar at the beginning of the sports career of children, encouraging their exploration in various sport disciplines, providing constant emotional and motivational support [12]. Along these lines, it is relevant to maintain a cohesive, continuous, deliberate and coordinated relationship between families and coaches, in addition to having certain knowledge of the person who prepares the minor for sports [14], preventing families from being considered passive listeners who do not actively participate in their children’s sports experience [20].

It is also important that families take an interest in the minor’s sports practice, maintaining fluid communication and providing emotional support whether they win or lose. Similarly, teaching them to control their anger when they lose and to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, downplaying the fact of winning the competition to help prevent violent behavior [32]. Furthermore, young people whose parents have been more actively involved throughout the sporting activity observe a positive impact on father–child relationships and other relevant aspects of the child’s development [19].

Education in values represents one of the main pedagogical challenges, addressing moral aspects that define good and bad in various social contexts that are influenced by culture and ethics [33] (also families, schools or sports clubs). It should be noted, taking into account what was stated in the previous literature, that there is a close relationship between sports exercise and values [34,35], and that the family is considered the natural habitat for the learning of the latter [28,32,36]. Hence, it is relevant for this study to investigate the role that the family plays in the transmission of values traditionally associated with sports performance.

Sports practice not only provides an appropriate environment for teaching ethical values, but is also presented as an ideal activity for this, underlining that solidarity, respect, responsibility, justice and honesty are universal principles that guide human actions towards good [33]. In general, a large number of citizens consider that solidarity, cooperation, integration, inclusion, health, equality, etc., are some of the values associated with sport that are more easily integrated when parents practice sport continuously [26,37]. For Hernández-Guardiola et al. [16], sport provides values that are necessary and transferable to other areas of life, such as effort, camaraderie, responsibility, managing defeat and leading a healthy life.

Families should encourage discipline and the culture of effort but not sacrifice excessively or overextend themselves, in order to avoid pressure and future injuries [16]. Families must promote healthy sportsmanship, so that the child learns to know how to win and lose, and can fully enjoy and have fun with competitive physical activity [38]. For their part, Zubiaur et al. [22] exposed Spanish students who showed greater intrinsic motivation towards sport such as the satisfaction and pleasure obtained from participating, improving skills and being with friends and attributed more intrinsic values to sports practice, while Algerian students tended to be more extrinsically motivated, such as the satisfaction produced by the competition or the demonstration of superiority, and valued the intrinsic aspects of sport less. Therefore, context and cultural influence are aspects to consider in learning values.

The attendance at a more institutionalized sport not only affects the sporting or family environment, but also has consequences on the behaviors that children develop in their daily dynamics, transferring improvements on their personal or academic level, among others [39]. However, in this case, no significant differences are seen, so the behavior modification is similar whether you practice federated sports or not. Differences are only identified in the case of time organization for the performance of other responsibilities, such as schoolwork. Children who have to attend federated sports have a more rigid time structure, to which they must adapt to fulfill their purposes at all levels; therefore, they assume their responsibilities better and, consequently, ensure their successful fulfillment [40].

Finally, it is expected that the fact of introducing federative sport into the lives of young adolescents will have effects on their behavior. In this regard, the generation of a healthy lifestyle that contributes to preventing diseases, including childhood obesity, has been the main and predominant axis in the previous literature [41], but it is not the only reason, so it is essential to deepen the knowledge of other benefits and prejudices in the impact of sport on children’s behavior. With sport, children learn to be more disciplined and to better organize their weekly schedule, allowing them to combine sport with the rest of their individual responsibilities, such as studying, to guarantee good school performance [16], along with having more self-control and mastery of one’s behavior, which translates into better conduct at home, being less angry and feeling much more relaxed [21]. Increasing physical exercise has also been shown to alleviate depression levels in adolescents and adults, and lead to improvements in self-esteem, self-concept and cognitive functioning, but the positive connection between these physical self-perceptions and global self-esteem is only achieved if the experience and context of the physical activity are also positive [42]. All of this contributes to the perception of a calmer family climate that favors relationships between members of the family unit [43]. In this way, when there is good management and family involvement in this activity, it has a positive impact on the behaviors that the children have; therefore, it is identified as an opportunity to establish bonds of unity that transcend the sports fields to the home itself, reducing conflicts and intensifying the relationships [44].

2.3. Objectives

After reviewing the literature on the subject and conceptually analyzing federated sport and its current state among young people and the impact that this sport modality has on the minors’ lives, the need arises to further investigate how this activity influences family organization and involvement. Specifically, the present study poses the following research problems: Does federated sports practice affect family organization and involvement? What impact does it have on minors’ family life, especially on the transmission of values? To address these questions, the main purpose has been to determine whether or not attendance at federated sports practices affects relationships and family dynamics from the parents’ perspective. However, this general objective underlies a series of specific objectives that demarcate the research framework and, consequently, the presentation of the results. These are the following:

• Determine whether the practice of federation sports significantly affects certain aspects of family organization.
• Clarify with what degree of significance the minor’s federated sports practice influences family support and involvement in sports practice.
• Identify the component of significance that exists in the transmission of values transmitted by parents depending on the federated or not exercise.
• Know the intersection of significance that exists between the minor’s participation in federated sports and the minor’s developed behaviors.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Research Design

This study was framed in a descriptive/inferential, transversal and non-experimental research design that developed a quantitative treatment of the data. This research obtained information on a socio-educational phenomenon of interest: the inference of federative sports practice in the relationships and family dynamics of the child and youth population in the Region of Murcia.

3.2. Sample

The formation of the sample was carried out by a type of non-probabilistic intentional or convenience sampling, obtaining results without any prior plan or statistical parameters involved. This procedure was selected given the difficulty of accessing centers for involvement and the prompt need to obtain an important sample in a short period of time. However, an inclusion criterion was established for participation in the research, which was being the father or mother of a minor between 6 and 16 years of age who practiced physical activity in a sports club of any discipline located in the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia.

In this way, after applying the questionnaire, cleaning the data and eliminating those questionnaires that were not valid because they were incomplete, a final sample of 224 parents (74.0% mothers and 26.0% fathers) was provided. According to the sociodemographic variables, at the

Table 1. Sociodemographic data of the participating sample.

Variable	Category	N	%
Participation	Mothers	166	74.0%
	Fathers	58	26.0%
Age of Fathers	Under 40 years old	30	13.3%
	40–50 years old	129	62.8%
	More than 50 years old	64	27.1%
Age of Mothers	Under 40 years old	57	25.3%
	40–50 years old	143	66.8%
	More than 50 years old	24	41.5%
Fathers’ level of studies	Primary	22	10.0%
	ESO	23	10.5%
	High School	20	9.1%
	Higher Level of Vocational Training	50	22.7%
	University Studies	109	47.7%
Mothers’ level of studies	Primary	8	3.6%
	ESO	1	0.4%
	High School	2	0.9%
	Higher Level of Vocational Training	75	33.6%
	University Studies	138	60.1%
Father’s work activity	Inactive	12	3.7%
	Part-time job	9	4.1%
	Full-time work	203	92.2%
Mothers’ work activity Participation	Inactive	18	8.1%
	Part-time job	44	19.7%
	Full-time work	162	72.2%
Type of family	Nuclear	174	77.6%
	Single-parent	28	12.6%
	Homoparental	2	0.9%
	Reconstituted	17	7.6%
	Other	3	1.3%
Type of center	Public	128	63.1%
	Private	95	36.9%
Gender of children	Boys	141	59.6%
	Girls	82	40.4%
Age of children	6 to 9 years old	83	37.9%
	10 to 14 years old	88	48.8%
	More than 15 years old	52	10.3%
Educational stage	Elementary	130	64%
	Secondary	94	36%
Overall academic averages	Pass	44	11.3%
	Merit	102	50.2%
	Outstanding	78	38.4%

, both fathers (62.8%) and mothers (66.8%) were mostly in the age range of 40 to 50 years. Regarding the level of education, almost half of the fathers had a university education (47.7%), while in the case of the mothers it was slightly more than half (60.1%). The work activity of fathers was somewhat higher than that of mothers, with 3.7% of fathers being inactive compared with 8.1% of mothers. According to family structure, the nuclear family predominated (77.6%), being much more present than the single-parent family (12.6%) or the reconstituted family (7.6%). Finally, with respect to school variables, children attending public schools predominated (63.1%), with half of the sample in the 10 to 14 age group.

3.3. Information Collection Instrument

To obtain the information, an ad hoc questionnaire was constructed, given the lack of a specific questionnaire that could respond to the specific objectives set. Its construction was carried out under a rigorous and dual systematic process of important usefulness for the formation of the final version of the instrument.

• Search for questionnaires in the Dialnet, Google Scholar, Redalyc, Scielo, Scopus, WOS and EBSCO databases using the following descriptors: “questionnaire”, “sports activity”, “family stress”, “coping” and “childhood” applying the Boolean operators “OR” and “AND”. The criteria for the search were that they were original questionnaires, related to sports activity, the focus population was outside school and that they were the end result of a product of methodological rigor. Of the entire sample obtained, three questionnaires should be highlighted as those that were inspiration for the development of the content of the initial design, as follows: (1) the CUDAEEM questionnaire [45]; (2) the SVQ (sport value questionnaire) questionnaire [46]; (3) ISCED (school engagement development scale) [47].
• Expert validation process. The group was composed of 19 experts (11 men and 8 women), all with a doctorate degree and extensive experience in sports, medical, family or educational fields. They were in charge of evaluating on a scale of one to four in terms of relevance, coherence and clarity each of the parts and items that made up the initial design of the questionnaire, in addition to being able to include the appropriate observations. All quantitative and qualitative data were entered into the SPSS data matrix and analyzed to make the pertinent modifications based on the comments and opinions of the experts. The main improvements were made as follows: (1) reformulation of the items, making some words more understandable for the sample with which we want to work (30); (2) reorganization and simplification of the information presented (29, 34, 35, 42 and 43); and (3) add items that may be involved in the family organization regarding the sports activity of minors (37 and 38). The initial version consisted of 43 items, but, after the revision process, the total number of items was changed to 44, although the wording of 8 items was modified for the final construction.
• Exploratory factor analysis. Once the questionnaire content validation process was completed, the SPSS program was used to begin to demonstrate construct validity by means of exploratory factor analysis, using the principal component extraction method and the Varimax rotation method. In order to avoid problems of multicollinearity in the QIFAFD items, the Spearman coefficient was calculated for all of them. In no cases were bivariate correlations greater than 0.85 obtained, so that no item had to be removed from the questionnaire validated by the experts. After checking the sample adequacy measure, 6 components were established in a previous table that showed the variance load covered by the factors, choosing 5 since all the variances were covered, which were child’s sporting activity, family organization, family involvement and support, effects of sports activity on the child’s behavior and transmission of values. In this research, all dimensions were analyzed, except the one related to the child’s sporting activity, in order to focus on what most concerned the family figure.

The final model was collected under the following name: “Family involvement in the sports activity of school-age minors (IFAFD)”. This was initially configured by 23 sociodemographic questions about the personal, school and sports lives of the parents and their children. Subsequently, 36 items were organized into the following four dimensions: family organization (items 1 to 8), parental involvement in sports practice (items 9 to 18), effects of sports activity on the minor’s behavior (items 19 to 26) and, finally, transmission of values to minors (items 27 to 36). All of them were completed on a Likert-type scale from 1 to 4 with the following relation of values: 1 (very little), 2 (a little), 3 (quite a bit) and 4 (a lot). At a psychometric level, a very high Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient (α = 0.925) was obtained, along with the following considerable values for dimensions: family organization (α = 0.848), family involvement and support (α = 0.882), effects of sports activity on behavior of the minor (α = 0.874) and the transmission of values (α = 0.950).

3.4. Procedure

Firstly, the educational centers and sports schools were contacted by email and sent the questionnaire through a Google Forms link with the purpose of the research, to find out the acceptance of our study and whether they were willing to collaborate in the subsequent dissemination of the questionnaire to the parents of the students through the school platforms that the centers use, such as Google Classroom or Edmodo. From this contact, the participation of 2 educational centers and 3 sports schools (rugby, volleyball and basketball) was obtained.

The questionnaire that was applied detailed all the necessary information so that parents had knowledge at every moment and the reasons why they were completing it. Similarly, although it was not an essential requirement since the help of people of legal age was being requested, it was proposed to obtain informed consent in accordance with the ethical and functional approaches of studies of this nature, according to the APA regulations, seventh edition (standard 4.2 and 8.2), and with the internal regime that the University of Murcia has, highlighting the preservation of anonymity and informed consent for its completion. This study passed through a specific ethical committee composed of a master’s commission made up of three university experts, who evaluated the work in several aspects, including ethics, and gave their approval.

To collect data, the guidelines were explained to the collaborating entities, despite the fact that the information that was provided in the introduction was sufficient, being the following: (1) the object of the research; (2) the anonymity of the data; and (3) the custody of the same, belonging to the authors of this work. The approximate duration of completing the questionnaire was 5 to 10 min, and the data collection process lasted 1 month, covering the date from 3 March 2022 to 7 April 2022, obtaining a total of 224 participants. The reasons why this questionnaire was carried out virtually and not by hand were the following: (1) greater ease of completion; (2) greater organization when processing data; (3) greater speed in the process; and (4) taking care to avoid the loss or deterioration of documents, since unexpected things can always happen manually.

3.5. Analysis of Data

Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS version 28 statistical package, once the data were transferred to it from the Excel file generated by the Google form of the survey. Initially, the frequencies of the sample were extracted to be aware of its characteristics and, subsequently, the descriptive data (mean and standard deviation) of each of the items and the global scores of each dimension. Subsequently, to determine the inferential data, a normality test was first performed, paying special attention to the “p” value obtained in the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, given that the sample was greater than 30 subjects. In this case, a value of p = 0.000 was obtained, a value that rejected the assumption of normality and, therefore, determined that non-parametric statistics must be used. In this way, to be aware of the existence or not of significant differences, since the variable of attendance at federative sports was dichotomous (yes or no), the Mann–Whitney U statistic must be applied. Finally, to know the magnitude of the significant differences found, Cohen’s d statistic was applied to verify the effect size, taking the following valuation ratios: small (0.2 < d < 0.5), medium (0.5 < d < 0.8) and large (d > 0.8).

4. Results

Based on the data presented in

Table 2. Inferential data of the federative sport variable on family organization.

Items	F.S	S	$\overline{\mathit{X}}$	σ	Average Range	U Mann–Whitney	p	d
The type of food consumed at home	Yes	105	1.77	0.963	101.46	4992.00	0.898	-
	No	96	1.70	0.809	100.50
Labor conciliation	Yes	105	2.09	0.810	97.00	4620.00	0.275	-
	No	96	2.22	0.797	105.38
Sleep schedules	Yes	105	1.49	0.822	100.75	5014.00	0.938	-
	No	96	1.49	0.821	101.27
Family leisure	Yes	105	2.02	0.734	111.97	3888.00	p < 0.001 **	0.404
	No	96	1.72	0.750	89.00
Family economy	Yes	105	1.96	0.619	96.51	4569.00	0.178	-
	No	96	2.09	0.666	105.91
Study time and school performance	Yes	105	1.83	0.740	105.88	4917.50	0.747	-
	No	96	1.81	0.786	85.97
Taking care of the home	Yes	105	1.73	0.724	102.17	4699.50	0.365	-
	No	96	1.65	0.711	99.72
Global family organization	Yes	105	1.81	0.514	104.12	4712.50	0.425	-
	No	96	1.78	0.565	97.59

Note: F.S—federated sport; S—sample; $\overline{X}$—media; σ—standard Deviation ** p < 0.010.

, it can be seen that family leisure (p < 0.001) is the only family organization variable in which significant differences are found depending on whether or not they attend federated sports. More specifically, it can be determined that family leisure is more affected in those families in which their sons or daughters attend federated sports activities ($\overline{X}$ = 2.02; σ = 0.734) than in those who do not ($\overline{X}$ = 1.72; σ = 0.750). Furthermore, according to the value of the effect size, it appears close to the typical value (d = 0.404). In the remaining items, it can be seen that, in none of the cases, the fact of minors from the family environment attending federated sports or not infers on the other aspects of the family organization indicated. In none of the cases is the minimum established significance value reached (p > 0.050).

As can be seen in

Table 3. Inferential data of the federative sport variable on family involvement and support in sports practice.

Items	F.S	S	$\overline{\mathit{X}}$	σ	Average Range	U Mann–Whitney	p	d
I encourage my son or daughter to play sports	Yes	105	3.45	0.571	112.59	3823.50	p < 0.001 **	0.486
	No	96	3.16	0.621	88.33
The support provided to my son or daughter in relation to his or her sports	Yes	105	3.43	0.602	113.46	3732.00	p < 0.001 **	0.528
	No	96	3.09	0.682	87.38
I have knowledge of the coach who prepares my son or daughter	Yes	105	2.92	0.851	117.37	3321.50	p < 0.001 **	0.667
	No	96	2.35	0.858	83.10
I maintain fluid communication with my son or daughter regarding his or her sport practice	Yes	105	3.18	0.632	112.65	3816.50	p < 0.001 **	1.10
	No	96	2.35	0.812	88.26
I control the level of anger that invades me when my son or daughter loses	Yes	105	3.10	0.838	104.50	4672.50	0.342	-
	No	96	2.93	1.008	97.17
I encourage my son or daughter emotionally if he or she wins the competition	Yes	105	3.09	0.774	112.07	3877.50	p < 0.001 **	0.455
	No	96	2.70	0.930	88.89
I encourage my son or daughter emotionally if he or she loses the competition	Yes	105	3.24	0.741	105.40	4577.50	0.219	-
	No	96	3.10	0.788	96.18
I make him or her reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of his or her role in the competition	Yes	105	2.87	0.844	106.77	4434.50	0.116	-
	No	96	2.66	0.916	94.69
I downplay the importance of winning a competition	Yes	105	2.99	0.803	100.18	4953.50	0.822	-
	No	96	3.00	0.846	101.90
I am involved in my son’s or daughter’s sports practice	Yes	105	3.01	0.727	107.96	4309.00	0.057	-
	No	96	2.77	0.864	93.39
Global family involvement and support	Yes	105	3.12	0.521	114.01	3674.00	0.661	-
	No	96	2.86	0.566	86.77

Note: F.S —federated sport; S—sample; $\overline{X}$—media; σ—standard deviation ** p < 0.010.

, the inferential data are observed to verify the presence or not of significant differences between attending or not attending federated sports, by the minors of the families’ nuclei and various aspects of the involvement and family support in sports practice. In this case, a maximum significance component (p < 0.001) is found in the following variables: “I encourage my child to play sports”, “the support provided to my child in relation to their sports practice”, “I know the coach”, “I maintain fluid communication with my child regarding their sports practice” and “I emotionally encourage my child if they win the competition”, in all cases in favor of those parents who have their children participating in federated sports activities. In the rest of the items, attendance at federated sports is not a significant variable. Finally, regarding the value of the effect size (Cohen’s d), it should be noted that the item “I maintain fluid communication with my child” obtains a very large value (d = 1.10). In the rest of the items, there is a size of the effect close to or within the interval referring to the mean value (0.500 < d < 0.800).

Next, the information shown in

Table 4. Inferential data of the federative sport variable on the transmission of values.

Items	F.S	S	$\overline{\mathit{X}}$	σ	Average Range	U Mann Whitney	p	d
Self-actualization, that is, feeling good about yourself when practicing sports	Yes	105	3.10	0.613	101.26	5012.50	0.940	-
	No	96	3.00	0.654	100.71
Enjoyment and fun	Yes	105	3.28	0.628	103.33	4795.00	0.505	-
	No	96	3.07	0.729	98.45
It helps both their colleagues and opponents	Yes	105	3.15	0.632	106.10	4505.00	0.151	-
	No	96	2.96	0.832	95.43
The effort and improvement to develop their sports practice	Yes	105	3.06	0.618	106.55	4457.00	0.114	-
	No	96	2.84	0.850	94.93
Cohesion in my son’s team	Yes	105	3.10	0.649	111.42	3945.50	p < 0.001 **	0.467
	No	96	2.73	0.912	89.60
That he is disciplined and abides by the norms and/or rules of his sport	Yes	105	3.23	0.609	109.42	4156.00	0.017 *	0.381
	No	96	2.96	0.794	91.79
Self-control and mastery of one´s behavior	Yes	105	3.10	0.658	105.62	4555.00	0.194	-
	No	96	2.95	0.786	95.95
A good state of health and physical fitness	Yes	105	3.26	0.621	108.10	4294.00	0.044 *	0.313
	No	96	3.05	0.716	93.23
Sportsmanship, that is, knowing how to win and lose	Yes	105	3.33	0.660	108.45	4257.50	0.036 *	0.284
	No	96	3.14	0.675	92.85
A committed and responsible attitude towards it	Yes	105	3.19	0.637	103.77	4749.50	0.432	-
	No	96	3.10	0.703	97.97
Global transfer of values	Yes	105	3.17	0.508	109.11	4188.50	0.037 *	0.576
	No	96	2.89	0.567	93.45

Note: F.S—federated sport; S—sample; $\overline{X}$—media; σ—standard deviation * 0.010 < p < 0.050; ** p < 0.010.

is analyzed regarding the inferential data between the transmission of values from parents to children and whether or not they practice federated sports. It should be noted that the following values obtain a significant component: cohesion in my child’s team (p = 0.004), being disciplined and abiding by the rules (p = 0.017), good health and physical fitness (p = 0.044) and sportsmanship, knowing how to win and lose (p = 0.036), in all cases in favor of those parents who do have their children in federated sports clubs. Just as a minimum significance value is obtained in the global score (p = 0.037), it is also obtained in favor of the group of parents with federated children. However, according to the size of the effect, which determines the strength of the inferences identified, in all cases, the value is minimal (0.200 < d < 0.500).

According to what is established in the data in

Table 5. Inferential data of the federative sport variable on effects on minor´s behaviors.

Items	F.S	S	$\overline{\mathit{X}}$	σ	Average Range	U Mann–Whitney	p	d
Schedule and tasks are better organized	Yes	105	2.45	0.866	109.68	4129.00	0.020 *	0.312
	No	96	2.17	0.925	91.51
You feel more relaxed	Yes	105	2.62	0.739	98.63	4791.00	0.508	-
	No	96	2.70	0.809	103.59
Behaves better at home	Yes	105	2.48	0.786	103.45	4782.50	0.507	-
	No	96	2.40	0.923	98.32
Becomes angry less	Yes	105	2.30	0.810	99.70	4903.00	0.724	-
	No	96	2.35	0.870	102.43
A calmer climate is perceived at home	Yes	105	2.32	0.826	101.18	5021.50	0.962	-
	No	96	2.33	0.879	100.81
We are more united, we have a closer relationship	Yes	105	2.46	0.866	105.37	4581.00	0.239	-
	No	96	2.31	0.898	96.22
It bothers him that I shout to encourage him	Yes	105	1.78	0.951	99.32	4863.50	0.643	-
	No	96	1.80	0.878	102.84
He gets angry when I correct him	Yes	105	1.90	0.831	99.93	4928.00	00.771	-
	No	96	1.93	0.811	102.17
Overall behaviors of the minor	Yes	105	2.28	0.605	102.71	4860.00	00.661	-
	No	96	2.24	0.644	99.13

Note: F.S—federated sport; S—sample; $\overline{X}$—media; σ—standard deviation * 0.010 < p < 0.050.

, a better organization of the schedule and tasks is seen as the only variable that affects the behavior of the minor that is significant with the characteristic of the development or not of federated sports, in this case, in favor of those parents who have children who are registered. However, in relation to the interpretation of Cohen’s d parameter, a weak effect size is identified (d = 0.312). In the rest of the items on the effects caused on the minor’s behaviors, no minimum significance component is appreciated.

5. Discussion

Throughout the literature, federative sport has been seen as a double-edged sword, because, although there is a great deal of learning associated with its exercise such as responsibility or teamwork [48,49], anxiety and stress also coexist when meeting a series of demands, reducing the benefits obtained in practice [32,50]. In the present study, a pioneering empirical examination is carried out regarding the impact that the practice of a high-performance federated youth sport in the context of southeastern Spain has on family life. Specifically, we have explored the results of attending the implicit responsibilities of physical organized activity in children regarding family organization, e.g., schedules, food, family leisure, family conciliation, family finances, study time, school performance and home care. We also explore the ways in which parents are involved in the educational support they provide for their children and to what extent they are conditioned by the federated or non-federated exercise of sport. Among the aspects to highlight family education and the role of parental participation, special mention is made of the transmission of values as a key piece in sports exercise, since, in addition to promoting values, sport is conditioned by the attitudes and values of athletes. Finally, it is explored whether the fact of being federated or not in sports has effects on child’s behavior. In this case, through the results obtained from family perspectives in comparison with those who do not have their children enrolled in federated sports, it is evident that parents with children who practice federated sports provide greater support, highlight more learning in their physical sports practice and are more concerned with the transmission of values through this discipline; however, they observe a greater difficulty in carrying out their family leisure.

5.1. Family Organization

Previous studies show that leisure activities related to sports exercise that children develop affect their parents’ lives [18]. Although they do not actively participate, they are responsible for the organizational and logistical aspects that affect their performance [17,18,25]. In this case, in view of the results obtained, the condition is the same, regardless of whether the minor attends federated sports or not, despite the fact that there are studies that speak of a federated sport with more intense and demanding days that lead to a greater affectation of the family organization. In this sense, according to the results obtained by Sutcliffe et al. [31], parents of non-sports participants reported having less pressure in time management, which makes family organization and reconciliation with other activities more easily possible than any of the other categories of sports participation.

However, this effect on family life time associated with the exercise of sporting activity has been revealed in the present study, with regard to the possibilities of carrying out family leisure. Specifically, significant differences have been identified regarding the enjoyment of family leisure, which is more limited in families with minors attending federated sports practice. In this sport modality, parents have to frequently attend different events during non-school periods, vacations or weekends, limiting the enjoyment of other intra-family leisure activities [16].

5.2. Family Involvement

From the results obtained, it is also concluded that the behavior that parents show during the accompaniment of the sporting activity is an example for the minor to follow or reject, but, in no case, is it educationally indifferent. In this case, in relation to the variable object of inference, the child’s attendance at federated or non-federated sports determines that there are respective differences in this regard in favor of those who do practice federated physical activities, demonstrating a greater degree of involvement than those who do not. Federated sports practice requires higher levels of demand and performance so that parents feel that they have to provide greater support, be aware of what is happening and value the progress experienced by their child [19,51]. Furthermore, on many occasions, they see in their children a reflection of what they were, perhaps participating in the same sporting activity that they carried out in the past, which represents an extra level of involvement [52]. This sporting parental participation, according to the results obtained, is situated in emotional aspects that encourage the child to pursue some sport and acquire a healthy lifestyle, starting at an early age, in line with what is stated by Keegan et al. [12]. Finally, recent studies show the importance of maintaining a close relationship between parents and coaches, to obtain the greatest performance from the use of positive strategies and avoid pressures that reduce children’s enjoyment [14,20]. In this regard, the results obtained show that parents whose children practice a federated sport have greater knowledge of the coach who prepares their son or daughter. Both educational agents must ensure the child’s development, and they feel like allies, as references who must work in a coordinated manner to guarantee the positive development of the minor for the common good of the team [16,53].

5.3. Transmission of Values

The transmission of values has been a constant in the sporting field, because of both the opportunities and the difficulties that this task brings. In this case, in parents who have children attending federated sports, a more intense and dedicated parental role can be seen in the task of transmitting values. Coinciding with Zubiaur et al. [22], the disciplined knowledge that these parents transmit in the acquisition of healthy habits and routines is highlighted. It is also necessary to mention the mission that parents carry out in compliance with rules and “fair play” that is knowing how to win or lose, so that they demonstrate respectful behavior with the opponent, their teammates and the referee team. This finding is surprising, because children usually see in their parents the reflection of inappropriate behaviors, full of disrespect and aggressiveness, becoming a source of shame for the minor [54]. In this sense, Horne et al. [55] justify the better situation of parents as a result of better educational co-responsibility between parents and coaches, so that both are concerned not only with academic performance but also promoting respect, companionship and self-esteem of the minor.

5.4. Child Behaviors

Attendance at a more institutionalized sport not only affects the sporting or family environment, but also has consequences on the behaviors that children develop in their daily dynamics, transferring improvements on their personal or academic level, among others [39]. However, in this case, no significant differences are seen, so the behavior modification is similar whether federated sports are practiced or not. Differences are only identified in the case of time organization for the performance of other responsibilities, such as schoolwork. Children who have to attend federated sports have a more rigid time structure, to which they must adapt to fulfill their purposes at all levels; therefore, they assume their responsibilities better, thus ensuring their successful fulfillment [56].

6. Conclusions and Limitations

As a final conclusion, we echo the words of Harwood and Knight [24] (p. 24), who state the following: “Expertise in sport parenting requires parents to develop knowledge and utilize a range of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational skills in order to support their child, manage themselves, and operate effectively in the wider youth sport environment.” Becoming aware of this implies assuming responsibility as educational agents and training appropriately to provide good support in the life of the minor, specifically, in relation to time management to reconcile with other aspects of family life that enable the performance of educational activities during family leisure; to the management of the emotional pressure associated with elite competition, to avoid pressure and a decrease in enjoyment in carrying out the activity; to raise awareness regarding the establishment of alliances between the family and non-formal educational agents, of similar relevance to those who come from a more formal educational environment.

Through the data obtained, numerous findings of important usefulness have been extracted for determining implications of vital relevance for the scientific, sports and educational fields. First of all, the presence of parents must be intensified in the federated or non-federated sports practice of the minor, so that it is not leisure time for the children but rather it is configured as family leisure time, for these actions can be carried out such as carrying out shared training, including training for parents on healthy sportsmanship and sports education or establishing scheduled tutorials between parents and coaches. Secondly, specifically in relation to federated sports, a better conciliation of times must be sought so that not all events are held during the parents’ non-working periods, so that they can also enjoy their children when they are free from obligations. Finally, following good practices such as that disseminated by Dorsch et al. [19], include the figure of the family as an active agent of the activity from more institutional initiatives, such as an internal association of fathers and mothers, to more collaborative ones, such as the formation of a parents’ commission to develop collaboration and logistical tasks. Parents are increasingly considered as a participatory element, leaving behind their passive role of visiting, organizing trips, preparing meals or helping to raise money, among other tasks. These initiatives will serve as an incentive to bring closer the positions between family and sports school, creating an important impact on the comprehensive development of the protagonist, i.e., the minor.

Despite the research advances obtained through this work, during its development, a series of limitations were identified that were overcome. The bibliographic search required investing a lot of time due to the small number of studies that specifically addressed the two central study variables (federated or unfederated sport and the families’ perspective). Other limitations were found in obtaining the sample, because, given the multitude of investigations that request collaboration from educational centers, there was no possibility of meeting all the demands, with few being willing to participate. Finally, regarding the complexity of transferring data from an office package to the statistical package used and given the incompatibility of the formats, external collaboration was needed for its proper performance. However, despite the aforementioned difficulties, a range of possibilities also opened up to expand and enrich the field of knowledge, visible as new lines of research. These were incorporating the figure of minors and coaches in the same study; applying a mixed research section so that a more holistic explanation could be given to the phenomenon investigated; and, finally, the application and evaluation of a family sports education plan. In addition, many sociodemographic variables, such as the age of the children or the type of center they attend, remain as interesting contrast variables to be investigated in future studies.