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# Introduction

For most athletes the journey to attaining expertise in sport frequently begins with an active childhood and taking an interest in sport from an early age. So what makes us sporty or active? Think back to your own early experiences of physical activity. Who played your first game of catch with you or taught you to ride your bike? The answer to these questions will most likely be a member of your family. There are many factors, psychological, social and biological, that shape who we are and what we do, and the family we are born into and grow up in is certainly one of these factors. This course aims to explore the effects that the family has on the amount and nature of physical activity a child participates in. The beliefs and behaviours of the family environment are the key psychosocial factors we investigate here.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course E313 Exploring psychological aspects of athletic development.

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OpenLearn - Physical activity: a family affair
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