The structural relationship among perceived positive and negative parenting attitude, sport life skills, and transfer of Chinese student-athletes

Background and Study Aim: Parenting attitude is regarded as a very important factor influencing the positive development of student -ath-letes. However, there are a lack of research on parenting attitude in sport positive youth development (PYD) area in China. This study aimed to understand the relationships among the parenting attitudes, sport life skills, and transfer of Chinese student-athletes.Material and Methods: Participants were 257 Chinese student-athletes (171 male, 86 female; mean age 15.70, +/- 1.44 years) in soccer (n = 73), basketball (n = 68), taekwondo (n = 62), track and field (n = 54). Parents as Social Context Questionnaire for adolescents (PSCQ-A), Life Skills Scale for Sport (LSSS), and Life Skills Transfer Survey (LSTS) were used to assess the perceived parenting attitude, life skills development, and transfer of life skills of student-athletes. Data were analysed by using descriptive statistics, correlations, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). In the SEM, two models, a positive parenting attitude (model 1) and a negative parenting attitude (model 2), were tested.Results: SEM analysis showed that parenting attitude was significantly related to life skills development and transfer of Chinese student-athletes. A positive parenting attitude had a positive effect on sport life skills and trans-fer, while a negative parenting attitude had a negative effect. Furthermore, positive and negative parenting attitudes indirectly affected life skills transfer by mediating life skills development.Conclusions: The findings of this study show that the role of parents determines the possibility of life skills development and transfer of life skills of Chinese student-athletes. Therefore, it is desirable for parents to show affectionate and supportive parenting attitudes to promote the development and transfer of life skills of student-athletes.