Challenges and Opportunities for Latine Families in US Youth Sport

Abstract

This study investigates Latine parents’ perspectives on youth sport participation in the United States (US), with particular attention to perceived barriers, benefits, and recommendations for enhancing sport programming. The participants included 20 Latine parents; 12 Latina mothers and 8 Latino fathers, all of whom self-identified as being of Mexican descent. Participants were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. This qualitative inquiry employed semi-structured interviews to elicit rich, narrative data. Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) guided the study, centering lived experiences and systemic inequities in sport access, while also attending to the intersections of race, socioeconomic class, and language that shape participation opportunities. Inductive thematic analysis identified themes across participant narratives, yielding three overarching themes. (1) Structural Barriers, reflecting financial constraints and limited institutional support; youth sport as a site for (2) Cultural and Social Expression, highlighting opportunities for family bonding, and social growth; and (3) “Mover Adelante:” More Accessible Outreach emphasizing parents’ readiness to participate when youth sport programs are culturally relevant and community centered. Findings underscore the need for culturally responsive outreach to avoid limiting youth sport participation.