Adolescents' sports participation today requires a lot of time and sacrifice from their parents mostly due to the increased training intensity and costs. Parents' role supporting their young athletes is without doubt significant. However, in recent years parents' inappropriate sideline behavior has increased negative media attention. Referees and other players are being insulted by parents and it is often questioned whose hobby is it: children’s or their parents’? The objectives of this Master’s thesis were to study how young athletes’ experience their parents’ presence in their sports participation, what led them to start certain sport, what is the parent's role, and do athletes often discuss about the sport with parents? The research was carried out using a qualitative method, where a hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used as its scientific philosophic basis. The subjects were 13 girls and 13 boys from secondary school in Finland. The subjects were the age of 14 to 15. The data was gathered in spring 2016 during a Finnish literature class. Students wrote an essay headlined “Parents in my sports hobby.” Researchers had prepared questions related to the topic which the students were allowed to use if needed. The data was analyzed using content-based content analysis and thematising. The results pointed out parents’ importance enabling adolescents’ sports participation. Young athletes were thankful for their parents’ support and appreciated the sacrifices they had to make to enable their children to participate sports. The subjects wrote about their parents in a very positive way and the comments related to teammates parents were mostly positive. Based on the results, parents’ role could be divided in to different areas. Parents’ role was to pay, transport, and do the voluntary work for club, to do laundry and to support. Athletes own interest was the most important factor when deciding to start to do sports. Conversations related to hobby with parents were seen as important and as a way for parents to show that they were interested and that they cared. It was important that parents let their children practice without disturbing and involving too much. Simultaneously, parents’ availability when needed was considered significant. Too much involvement in their children's sport was seen as annoying but yet on the other hand parents who never showed up were seen in a negative way. Own parent as a coach or team leader was seen as a negative factor. This research brings up the young athletes’ perceptions and experiences. As a conclusion can be stated that adolescents’ organized sports participation would not be possible without parents’ support. Young athletes are aware of the importance of their parents’ involvement and appreciate it a lot. Key words: sports activity, parents’ role, young athletes, experiences