Factors Influencing Participation
What motivates and facilitates children and youth to participate in sport and physical activity changes over time and will be influenced by individual, environmental, cultural, and social factors. 1, 2, 3, 4 To increase participation and retention, program designers and providers need to understand key motivations and facilitators for individuals and specific groups. They also need to engage with children and youth to help address and overcome barriers and factors that can impact engagement in sport and physical activity. 2, 3, 7, 8
Motivators
Australian and international research and reports have identified some key motivators for children and youth participation in sport and physical activity.
- Fun/enjoyment 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
- Social, to hang out with friends 11, 13, 16, 18
- Mental health and wellbeing 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 19
- To belong/be part of a group 10, 13, 18, 20
- Physical health, energy, or fitness 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 21
- To get into/stay in shape (physical appearance, to lose/maintain weight) 2, 8, 9, 11, 22
- To learn/improve skills (self-development) 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 19
- Competition, mastery, and/or challenge (being successful and achieving goals) 3, 9, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 21, 23
- To be outside/enjoy nature 12, 24
- Wanting to be a professional player 13, 25, 26

Facilitators and Barriers
There are also multiple factors that can facilitate or provide barriers to children and youth participation in sport and physical activity.
Facilitators
What encourages children and youth to take part in sport.Barriers
What holds children and youth back from participating in sport.Resources and reading
Dive deeper into the research on what supports and limits children and youth's participation in sport.
Factors that Impact
Children and young people often express the desire to trial and/or participate in a variety of sports and physical activities, and research suggests that doing so can improve physical literacy and the opportunity to find activities that individuals enjoy and want to continue participating in. This can maximise life-long sport and physical activity enjoyment, engagement, and benefits. 5, 7, 26, 29, 44
There are some factors identified in the literature that are specific to—or have a high impact on—children and youth.
Coaching
Participants who receive quality coaching generally have higher long-term participation rates than those who aren't coached.Competence (physical literacy)
Physical literacy is about building the skills, knowledge and behaviours to be confident and motivated to lead active lives.Competition
Formats and structures that meet the needs of a range of participants can help increase long-term enjoyment and participation.Cost (direct financial and time)
Although there are many factors that influence sports participation, ‘cost’ is consistently identified.Enjoyment
What exactly makes something enjoyable, or fun can be different for individuals, and may change across the life course.Gender
Gender, socio-cultural expectations and experiences can impact attitudes to and participation in sport, even from young ages.Parents
Parental behaviours, attitudes, and support as participants, spectators, volunteers can help young people build lifelong habits.Program design
Some elements have been identified as being more likely to lead to successful programs for children and youth.Role models
Role models can encourage children and youth to play sport and become more physically active.
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See more on this topic:
- Overview
- Factors influencing participation
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