“I constantly felt between a rock and a hard place”: Parents’ experiences of elite athletes’ injuries.

Given that parents have been identified to have an important role in supporting their injured child, it is surprising that the impact of athletes’ injuries on parents has received limited research attention. Two research questions guided this study: In what ways are parents of elite athletes affected by their injuries and how do they navigate these effects? Framed within a generic qualitative inquiry approach, 14 parents of elite athletes (n=7 Mothers, n=7 Fathers) participated in interviews and timelining. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019) and methodological rigor was enhanced through self-reflexivity, member reflections, and external reflections. Four themes were identified: The Unknown, represents the uncertainty surrounding injury, framed within the culture and vow of silence; Between a Rock and a Hard Place, reflects power dynamics, conflict, and the binary decision and consequences of whether parents should ‘toe the line’ and do what is expected of them or resist and challenge the status quo; Them Before Us, reflects parental labor and the multiple roles, responsibilities, and personal sacrifices they make during the elite athletes’ injuries and the impact it has on them; and Keeping Up Appearances, focuses on parenting as a social performance and the experiences of performing positivity. This study offers original insights into parents’ experiences of elite athletes’ injuries, suggests various theories for future researchers to consider that could advance the field of sport injury psychology, and recommends the need to work with rather than on parents to co-design resources to support their needs.