ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 4(11), 1986-1996 1986 Journal Homepage: -www.journalijar.com Article DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/2302 DOI URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/2302 RESEARCH ARTICLE ATHLETE'S PATH TO EXCELLENCE: THE ROLE OF MOTHER'S SACRIFICE. * Miriam Palomo-Nieto 1,2 , Luis Miguel Ruiz Perez 1 and Donald N. Roberson Jr 2 . 1. Departamento de Ciencias Sociales de la Actividad Fisica, del Deporte y del Ocio, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Espana, SP. 2. Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic, CZ. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Manuscript Info Abstract ……………………. ……………………………………………………………… Manuscript History Received: 29 September 2016 Final Accepted: 30 October 2016 Published: November 2016 Key words:- Family, sacrifice, anxieties, emotions, grounded theory. The purpose of this study has been to determine the negative impact on mothers while providing support for their child to become a top athlete. The negative impact associated with this support from mothers is called „emotional investment.‟ We applied a qualitative, inductive and interpretative methodology following the procedures and techniques of grounded theory. The research involved interviews with 17 mothers and their 20 top athletes sons and daughters. At the end of it, we formulated a theory which we call Mothers' Negative Emotional Investment in their Children's Sporting Excellence. Our theory relies on three main themes: 1. Pain, fear, and anxiety of the mother, 2. Negative impact on the family, 3. Sacrifice, renunciations, and effort on the part of the mother. i. These three themes are not only interrelated and hierarchically arranged, but also show a dynamic evolution along with the child's athletic and personal development. Copy Right, IJAR, 2016,. All rights reserved. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Introduction:- The enormous demands of competitive sport and the constant training sessions of young athletes require a great deal from the family and have a considerable impact on normal family life (Bloom, 1985; Coakley, 2006; Côté, 1999; Gould, Lauer, Rolo, Jannes and Pennisi, 2008; Holt and Dunn, 2004). Parents have different levels of commitment to their children's road to excellence which involve sacrifice, effort, fear and apprehension (Wolfenden and Holt, 2005; Wurth, Lee and Alferman, 2004). While a lot of attention has been paid to the support given by families to young athletes in the literature, very little attention has been focused on the impact of that support on the family itself. As we will see, the burden on the family increases along with the age and level of the sporting activity of the child (Kay, 2000). For a family, participation in sport of one of the children entails a series of economic, psychological and emotional resources. These resources and the corresponding time consumed have important consequences on the cohesion and development of family life, both on and away from the sports field (Trussell, 2009). The highly demanding and multi-faceted support given by parents to their children involved in sport is frequently accompanied by negative consequences for the whole family (Thompson, 1999). The literature has shown various negative issues concerning the focus on top athletes, this includes sacrifice of time, impact of finances, and the role of emotions. Corresponding Author:- Miriam Palomo-Nieto. Address:- Departamento de Ciencias Sociales de la Actividad Fisica, del Deporte y del Ocio, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Espana, SP.