Dugout Dish: In the Clubhouse with EMD | Expectations vs. Reality: What Parents Think About Athletic Futures

In this episode, we break down a recent study highlighted in Ohio State News by Jeff Grabmeier about parental expectations for their children’s athletic futures — research conducted by Chris Knoester and Christopher McLeod and published in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues. Ohio State News

The study found that 34% of parents believed it was somewhat or very likely their child would become a small-college athlete, 27% thought their child would earn a college athletic scholarship, and 17% believed their child would become a professional or Olympic athlete. Ohio State News

We take time to discuss these numbers and share our thoughts on how high they may be relative to the real odds. Then we explore possible reasons why parents may overestimate these outcomes, including cultural expectations, athletic identity, and the impact of youth sports pressure. Ohio State News

Finally, we talk about what it truly takes to make it to college in any sport, how difficult it is to become a professional athlete, and why there needs to be broader education for families about the realities of competing at the next level and planning for life beyond sports.

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Presented by Kali Gloves - www.kaligloves.com

Chapters

• (00:00:02) - Kevin Smith's Gloves
• (00:01:12) - Report: 27% of Baseball Parents Think Their Child Will Play Division
• (00:12:12) - Do College Athletians Expect Their Kids to Play Division 1 Sports?