To Örebro University

There is a consensus among scholars that participation in organized activities, such as sports, can provide youth with opportunities for positive development. Yet, the amount of time that youth spend on sports decreases over time, especially during adolescence. Immigrant youth and girls, in general, are the most disadvantaged. Parents’ socialization behaviors are highlighted as important sources of influence. However, there are some gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed to better understand how adolescents’ involvement in organized sports can be promoted and maintained over time. Hence, building on the existing literature, the aims of this dissertation are: (1) to contribute to understanding of the underlying mechanisms that may explain how parents’ behaviors are linked to adolescents’ participation in sports activities, and (2) to see whether the underlying mechanisms linking parenting behaviors to adolescents’ involvement in organized sports differ according to their background (immigrant vs. Nordic) or their gender (boys vs. girls). The dissertation indicates that parents can use various behaviors to guide and facilitate their adolescents’ overall participation in organized sports. Through general behaviors that parents practice to oversee their adolescents’ whereabouts, parents can protect their adolescents from engaging in norm-breaking behaviors, and, in turn, create opportunities for them to participate in sports activities (Study I). In addition, through sports-related behaviors within the family (Study II), or within the sporting context (Study III), parents can influence their adolescents’ sports values, and, in turn, contribute to their participation in sports activities and reduce the likelihood of dropout. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the findings suggest that parents’ behaviors have similar implications for adolescents’ involvement in sports activities regardless of their immigration background or gender.