Event image and traveling parents' intentions to attend youth sport events: a test of the reasoned action model

Youth sport events provide communities with an influx of families who travel to provide their children with primary sport experiences. Decisions to participate in these 'sport-cations' are influenced by overall perceptions about the event, opportunities for socializing, and norms derived from family and friends' support. The study aimed to understand the impact of overall event image on traveling parents' subjective norms (SNs), attitudes, and behavioral intentions to re-attend similar youth sport events. Parents of youth female soccer players (N = 370) were surveyed at a youth tournament. Structural equation modeling analysis was utilized to test the proposed model. The results supported the positive influence of event image on attitudes and SNs and the impact of SNs on intentions. Based on these findings, peer influence becomes important. Efforts at managing event image should involve influencing the social network of parents about the importance of these events to achieve higher return rates.