Enhancing ice hockey parents’ emotional intelligence through a web-based parent education and support program

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a construct that could inform parent education and support initiatives. The purpose of this study was to deliver and evaluate a web-based program developed to enhance sport parents’ EI, called the Sport Parent Emotions and Coping Support (SPECS) program. Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach, 29 Canadian ice hockey parents (23 mothers, 6 fathers) were randomized to either an experimental or control group with pre- and post-program measures of trait EI. Qualitative interviews were also conducted with 11 parents from the experimental group following their completion of the program. The results from a mixed ANOVA indicated a statistically significant group by time interaction with a medium-sized effect for trait EI (p = .027; ηp² = .17) and intrapersonal EI (p = .027 ηp² = .17). The qualitative results provided insights regarding parents’ perceptions of the program’s content and delivery and highlighted parents’ “lightbulb moments” (i.e., learning about themselves and learning about their children). The integration of quantitative and qualitative findings elucidated how aspects of the program may have contributed to changes in parents’ EI. Overall, this research yields theoretical and practical implications for youth sport stakeholders interested in delivering sport parent education and support initiatives. An education program to enhance sport parents’ EI was evaluated. Parents’ trait EI significantly increased after participating in the program compared to a control group. Qualitative data provided insight regarding parents’ perceptions of the program’s content, delivery, and the knowledge and skills parents developed as a result of the program. Sport parent education and support initiatives should be tailored to meet the diverse needs of parents.Sport parents’ EI may be trained using web-based delivery methods.We recommend that sport psychologists, coaches, and sport organizations interested in enhancing parental involvement in youth sport consider EI training. Sport parent education and support initiatives should be tailored to meet the diverse needs of parents. Sport parents’ EI may be trained using web-based delivery methods. We recommend that sport psychologists, coaches, and sport organizations interested in enhancing parental involvement in youth sport consider EI training.