Login (DCU Staff Only)
Login (DCU Staff Only)

DORAS | DCU Research Repository

Explore open access research and scholarly works from DCU

Advanced Search

The Parent Advantage: Exploring Contextual Influences and Parental Roles in Tennis Talent Development

Cahill, Garry orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-2508-7398 (2025) The Parent Advantage: Exploring Contextual Influences and Parental Roles in Tennis Talent Development. PhD thesis, Dublin City University.

Abstract
Talent development (TD) in sport was often guided by prescriptive models that overlook the complex, context-dependent nature of athlete progression. In tennis, developing TD is particularly challenging for smaller less developed tennis nations as they struggle to compete within a globalised system. Despite limited resources, success often emerges through the agency of key individuals, especially parents, who navigate developmental challenges and shape athlete pathways. While parental influence is well established, little is known about how their roles and decisions interact with broader contextual constraints. This thesis explores the critical role of parental involvement in TD tennis players' development, focusing on the contextual factors that influence both the development process and the parental role. Five interrelated studies were conducted. Chapter 4 provides a scoping review of TID research over the past two decades, examining whether studies adequately consider contextual variables such as geographical location, sport type, and age. The findings reveal significant gaps in the literature, suggesting the need for more nuanced TD research. Chapter 5 focuses on two tennis federations from different regions, examining how meso (e.g., training environment) and macro-level factors (e.g., political, geographical) shape micro-level TD practices. The study highlights how varying contexts impact the delivery of tennis training and athlete development at both grassroots and elite levels and emphasises the importance of parents in TD. Chapter 6 explores parents' perceptions of their role in supporting TD athletes throughout a competitive season. Using a longitudinal approach, it examines how parental involvement evolves as the athlete progresses through stages of development. Chapter 7 investigates the critical decisions parents face on the TD pathway, focusing on the factors influencing these choices. It highlights the challenges parents encounter in navigating the TD process. Chapter 8 builds on these insights by exploring ways to better support parental decision-making, drawing on research from education and coaching. It identifies strategies that can assist parents in making informed decisions and understanding their evolving role. Finally, Chapter 9 synthesises the findings, offering both theoretical and practical implications for future research and practice. Recommendations are made for a more contextually, reflective approach to supporting parents in sports. This thesis emphasises the importance of equipping parents with the knowledge and tools to navigate the complex TD process, ultimately improving support systems for families involved in junior tennis and enhancing the development of young athletes.
Metadata
Item Type:Thesis (PhD)
Date of Award:9 December 2025
Refereed:No
Supervisor(s):Macnamara, Aine
Uncontrolled Keywords:Sport, coaching, parent
Subjects:Medical Sciences > Sports sciences
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health
DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Health and Human Performance
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. View License
ID Code:32025
Deposited On:21 Apr 2026 13:42 by �ine Macnamara . Last Modified 21 Apr 2026 13:42
Documents

Full text available as:

[thumbnail of Thesis with changes made final submitted .pdf]
Preview
PDF - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
3MB
Downloads

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Archive Staff Only: edit this record