When I reflect upon my time as a youth athlete and those who have helped me along the way, my parents are the first people who come to mind. They supported me throughout my recruitment process and helped me overcome many obstacles along the way. As much as I am thankful for ultimately choosing my own path without outside influences, it makes me wonder about those who weren't so lucky during their journey. Overbearing parents that control every step of their child's path to the next level can pose many problems for an athlete. Being that I have been exposed to these types of parent-player relationships for many years, I'm very interested as to how this affects a player's development and future in high-level sports. As I will be moving on to collegiate soccer this fall, I am extremely curious as to how parent involvement impacts a student-athlete transitioning from a youth environment to the highest level of sport.