“Oh boy, this is gonna be a roller coaster”: Parents’ stories of communication around menstruation and menarche in sport

Female athletes perceive the menstrual cycle as having negative physical and psychological impacts on sport participation (Adam et al., 2022). However, support for athletes managing menstruation is limited due to stigma (Keil et al., 2023) and communication barriers between coaches and athletes (Höök et al., 2021). Furthermore, little is known about parent-athlete communication regarding menstruation. This research explored parents’ experiences of communication about menstruation and menarche with female youth athletes. Ten parents (7 mothers, 3 fathers) completed narrative interviews discussing topics including emotional experiences, sport participation, social comparison, and reflection on communication with their child across developmental stages. Using a constructivist paradigm (Tamminen & Poucher, 2020), the interviews were analyzed using narrative thematic analysis (Riessman, 2008). A braided narrative method of creative nonfiction (Cavallerio, 2022) was used to weave the perspectives of fathers and mothers within the cultural context of menstruation to communicate the themes constructed during this study, including (a) riding a roller coaster of emotions, where parents experienced emotional challenges while supporting their daughters through menstruation, (b) coexisting narratives of menstruation, focusing on social and biological perspectives, (c) self-reflection on parental support and understanding, where participants reflect on their ability to support their daughters, and (d) gender roles shaping parent-athlete relationships, or how gender influences whether parent-athlete relationships grow closer or become more distant through menarche. These insights align with research on cultural narratives of menstruation as taboo outside of close female relationships (Erchull & Richmond, 2015), and show how parents navigate social norms while supporting athletes.