Adolescent athletes’ physical self-concept mediates the relationship between parental expectations and athletes’ sports achievement

We examined the relationships between parental expectations and the physical self-concept and sports achievement of their adolescent children, and investigated the mediating role of the adolescent athletes’ physical self-concept in the relationship between parental expectations and adolescents’ sports achievement. A survey was conducted with 385 junior high school students taking physical education classes in Taiwan. The results show that parental expectations had a positive effect on adolescents’ physical self-concept, and that adolescents’ physical self-concept had a positive effect on their sports achievement. In addition, the results revealed a full mediating effect, indicating that higher expectations by parents that their children would get high scores and perform better improved adolescents’ physical self-concept, which, in turn, positively influenced their sports achievement. Our findings confirm the importance of parental expectations for the sports achievement of adolescents, and highlight the importance of individual physical self-concept for the achievement of adolescent athletes.