Date of Award:
8-2026
Document Type:
Thesis
Degree Name:
Master of Science (MS)
Department:
Human Development and Family Studies
Committee Chair(s)
Travis E. Dorsch
Committee
Travis E. Dorsch
Committee
Shannon R. Pynn
Committee
Aryn M. Dotterer
Abstract
The current thesis is an investigation of time and financial resource allocation in families with youth athletes. Study 1 used a survey questionnaire to explore how the number of athletes in a family impacted the way parents allocated time and financial resources to their oldest child’s youth sport participation. Results indicate that an increase in the number of athletes in a family does not decrease parents’ time or financial commitments to their oldest child’s youth sport participation. Study 2 used interviews to explore how nine parents with multiple athletes experienced the intersecting demands of time, finances, and family life while supporting their children’s youth sport participation. Results were organized around four themes: sacrificing for the season, investing in their children’s development, restructuring family life, and navigating major family financial decisions. Together these studies extend the understanding of the youth sport system and the roles parents play in supporting their children’s youth sport participation while offering practical suggestions for organizations and families to better support multi-athlete families.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
DeLisle, Emily Susan, "Cash, Cleats, and Carpools: A Multi-Method Investigation of Resource Allocation in Families With Youth Athletes" (2026). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present. 834.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd2023/834
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