Resources and Reading

Dive deeper into the research on what supports and limits children and youth's participation in sport.
Dive deeper into the research on what supports and limits young peoples' participation in sport.
Girls play outside less than boys even at two years old, UK survey reveals, opens in a new tab, Sally Weale, The Guardian, (18 October 2024). Girls play outside in nature less than boys even at the age of two, according to the first national survey of play among preschool-age children in Britain. While researchers expect to see older children socialised to particular gender roles, they were shocked to see similar patterns of behaviour starting to emerge at such a young age. They fear it could have long-term implications for girls’ health, as girls are less physically active as they get older and are more likely than boys to have difficulties with their mental health. The study also found that preschool-age children from a minority ethnic background play less outdoors than their white counterparts, and children in urban areas play less outdoors than those in rural areas.
Research reveals a third of Aussie kids planning to drop out of sport, opens in a new tab, Allianz, (4 July 2024). As the nation prepares to support our athletes at the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, new research from Allianz Australia reveals that 30% of young Australians have asked their parents if they can stop playing sport by age 15. The time and increasing financial commitment, alongside competitiveness and lost interest are listed as the top reasons and barriers behind the decline in participation.
Survey: What do parents think of PE and how does it affect child health and wellbeing?, opens in a new tabPremier Education, (2022). We surveyed 1,120 UK parents of young children and asked them questions about theirs and their child’s views of PE and its impact on them. Key findings included: Most parents enjoyed PE at school and think PE is as important as academic subjects; Most parents see the mental and physical benefits of PE as important, but also, equally important; Children of parents who didn’t like PE at school are three times more likely to dislike it, which puts children at risk of not getting the benefits of PE; Parents want more PE in schools, and more variety of activities – especially non-sport-based activities.
Active Lives Children and Young People Survey: Academic year 2023-24, opens in a new tab, Sport England, (December 2024). This report presents data from the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey for the academic year 2023-24. Data is presented for children and young people in school Years 1-11 (ages 5-16) in England. Children and young people from the least affluent families are the least likely to be active, with only 45% meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines - compared to 57% of those from the most affluent families. Children and young people from the least affluent families are also under-represented as volunteers.
Young people who were active, volunteered, and/or were physically literate were more likely to report higher levels of happiness, willingness to keep trying when something was difficult, and trust in people of a similar age to them, as opposed to those where were fairly or less active, did not volunteer, and/or had less positive attitudes towards sport and physical activity (physical literacy).
Children and young people who report three or more positive attitudes (have a meaningful relationship with activity and/or are physically literate), 62% are active, compared to just 34% of those who report no positive attitudes. Gaining just one additional positive attitude could have a positive impact on activity levels (just as being more active could lead to more positive attitudes) and as such reinforces the importance of supporting all children and young people to have the best possible experience of being active. Boys (43%) are more likely than girls (25%) or gender diverse (27%) to have three or more positive attitudes.
The likelihood of having three or more positive attitudes increases with affluence.
Children and young people with a disability or long-term health condition are less likely to have three or more positive attitudes, compared to those without.
The likelihood of having three or more positive attitudes decreases with age.
Black children and young people are the most likely to have three or more positive attitudes, while Asian children and young people are the least likely to.
Sport participation in Victoria 2015–2022 Research Summary, opens in a new tab, VicHealth, (March 2024). This summary outlines key findings and insights from the 8th year of VicHealth’s and Sport and Recreation Victoria’s joint research project into organised community sport participation in Victoria. Over half of Victorians aged 5-14 play community sport, however, participation for those aged 10-14 has considerably declined in comparison to previous years. The sharp participation dropout during adolescence (15-19) remains, and adolescents’ participation rate was also lower in 2022 compared to 2021.
The main recommendation that we derive from this year’s analysis is that focused strategic policy development to retain and re-engage children and youth in sport is critical.
BMX for Life: Summary of findings - participation, opens in a new tab, Dave Camilleri, Richard Sallis, Ruth Williams, University of Melbourne, (2024). The BMX for Life research project delves into the potential of BMX riding to address social isolation and promote positive youth development. Through surveys and interviews, the project explores the interplay between BMX riding, creativity, and mental wellbeing, with a particular focus on dirt jump construction and riding. The BMX for Life project uncovers the ways in which BMX riders harness creativity, develop social and emotional learning (SEL) skills, and bolster mental wellbeing through their engagement with the sport. This summary reveals insights into how people participate in BMX riding in Australia. By understanding how and why people ride BMX, we can start to connect the dots between BMX riding, mental health, and creativity. Around one third of survey participants could be defined as youth, with several sections of the report including data frequently reported for respondents aged 15-29 years. BMX riding is particularly popular among younger demographics. By ensuring that riding spots are conveniently located within communities, councils can engage youth in positive recreational activities, potentially diverting them from less desirable behaviours and providing them with opportunities for skill development and personal growth. Appropriately designed riding spots provide youth with a positive outlet for their energy and creativity. By investing in facilities that cater to young riders’ interests and passions, councils can promote youth development, resilience, and leadership skills within the community,
Top barriers reported for respondents aged 15-29 were: work/study/school, lack of riding spots, finding people to ride with; lack of money; and injury and/or fear of injury.
Counting the Cost of Living: The impact of financial stress on young people - Insights from the 2023 Mission Australia Youth Survey, opens in a new tab, Filia, K., Teo, S.M., Gan, D., et al., Orygen and Mission Australia, (2024). Sports activities were attended more frequently by those without financial stresses, likely due to the typically high costs associated with participation and spectating. These findings held true when both hardships and concerns were experienced, and the likelihood of not engaging in these community activities increased under such circumstances.
Girls Active National Reports 2024, opens in a new tab, Youth Sports Trust, (2024). The Youth Sport Trust have been conducting a Girls Active Survey since 2016, finding out what the barriers, motivations and perceptions are for UK girls in PE, physical activity and sport, both in and outside of school and how these differ to boys. In 2024 over 15,000 young people took part in the survey. Some of this year’s key results: Nearly two thirds of girls (62%) want to be more active in school but there are barriers that stop them taking part such as not being confident, having their period and being watched by others.
The most common barriers to being active at school for boys were not being confident, when it's outside and not nice weather, can't be bothered, not enjoying, or being good at it.
The number of girls enjoying PE drops notably throughout school life: 86% of girls age 7 to 8 enjoy PE, compared to 56% of girls age 14 to 15; 46% of girls age 14-15 report a lack of confidence stops them being more active at school compared with 26% of girls aged 7-8.
Only 1 in 4 girls aged 11-13 feel confident in their PE kit, a drop from 65% aged 7-8. 58% of girls want more PE kit options compared to just 29% of boys.
Having fun, being with friends and getting fit and healthy are the top three motivations for girls and boys to take part in sport, physical activity and PE at school.
When asked who they would prefer to teach their PE and sport at school, secondary school girls were most likely to say A female teacher/coach, followed by I don’t mind, and A male teacher/coach. When including all ages/grades girls either 'didn't mind' (53%), would prefer a female teacher/coach (43%), or would prefer a male teacher or coach (4%). 63% of boys didn't mind if their PE/sport teacher was male or female, although 32% would prefer a male teacher, and 4% a female teacher.
More than 50% of girls agreed that they: understand why being active is good for me (88%), feel good when I do physical activity (66%); are inspired when they see females being successful in sport (61%) - 39% are also inspired by males who are successful in sport; are happy with the amount of physical activity they do (57%), would like to have a say in the activities we do in PE and after school clubs (53%).
More than 50% of boys agreed that they: understand why being active is good for me (91%), feel good when I do physical activity (83%); are inspired when they see males being successful in sport (65%) - 41% are also inspired by females who are successful in sport; are happy with the amount of physical activity they do (76%), would like to have a say in the activities we do in PE and after school clubs (64%). Boys were also more likely to agree that they like competitive PE lessons (71% compared to 50% of girls)
Both girls and boys reported preferring single sport groups for sport, physical activity and physical education. Girls: 66% girls only; 20% don't mind, 14% mixed; Boys: 61% boys only, 26% don't mind, 12% mixed.
Overall, boys were more likely to enjoy taking part in PE (87% compared to 77% of girls), physical activity (87% compared to 66% of girls), and enjoy learning at school (48% compared to 46% of girls).
Daring to Dream: The Gender Dream Deficit in Sport, opens in a new tab, Women in Sport, (December 2023). The 2023 Women’s World Cup had a positive impact on girls in the UK who watched with 9 in 10 saying it made them feel proud and happy. But despite the increased visibility and success of women’s sport, a very significant dream deficit persists between girls and boys. Girls who love sport and take part a lot now have heroes and can dream of reaching the top, but this group makes up just 19% of all girls. The dream deficit widens with age: AGES 13-18: 27% of girls aged 13-18 dream about becoming a top athlete or sportsperson, compared to 45% of boys. For those aged 19-24, only 31% of girls dream compared to 61% of boys. Rates have not changed significantly since 2020.
Top 3 barriers preventing girls and boys from becoming a top athlete or sportsperson: Girls: Not enough funding for girls’ sport; Girls aren’t encouraged to excel in sport; Girls don’t have the chance to try enough different sports. Boys: Not enough opportunities, clubs and teams to join locally; Men can’t get the right level of training and coaching; Not enough funding for boys’ sport.
Around a third of girls think that 'people think sport is for boys and doesn't matter for girls' (32%) and that girls are not expected to be good at sport (35%), or to excel at sport (39%).
Top 5 barriers to sport participation for girls: Don't like people watching and judging me; Don't feel good enough; Don't like doing sport when I have my period; Too much schoolwork so no time; don't feel safe training on dark winter evenings.
Top 5 barriers to sport participation for boys: Don't feel good enough; Don't like people watching and judging me; Too much schoolwork; Don't feel safe training on dark winter evenings; feel uncomfortable wearing sports kit.
The top three things that would encourage girls and boys to get more involved in sport are very similar between genders: more opportunities to try lots of different sports at a young age; more opportunities to join clubs and teams outside school; more opportunities to play different sports at school; but, girls were much more likely to want more single sex (i.e. girls only) opportunities to take part (24% compared to 6% of boys wanting more boys only opportunities).
MOVENOW MOVE365: Understanding trends in youth sport participation, opens in a new tab, International Olympic Committee and Allianz, (August 2023). Five thousand young people between 12 and 24 years, and two thousand parents of 12–18-year-olds, across 10 countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Nigeria, Spain, Switzerland and USA) were surveyed to understand levels of sport participation, motivations, barriers, and concerns, particularly in the context of current global challenges. The research findings are consistent with the broad body of evidence about young people and sport participation. However, the research provides a contemporary snapshot and a unique level of demographic detail which highlights key and emerging issues. Seventy-two per cent of young people think sports participation is important.
Over 90% of parents said improving physical and mental health, having fun (94%) and improving self-confidence applied to them (a lot or a little) as reasons for their child to play sport.
Young people report that they enjoy school more (55%) and find it easier to concentrate (46%) after physical activity.
Despite this, levels of engagement with sport and physical activity remain insufficient, with less than 20% of young people reporting being physically active for five or more hours a week.
When asked about barriers or concerns that prevent them from playing more sport, young people report having other responsibilities as the main barrier. They also have concerns about not wanting to play sport alone, or with people they don’t know.
Over a third of young people (37%) report they are playing less sport due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Thirty per cent of young people report reducing their sports participation due to climate change, for example due to hotter or wetter weather or water shortages.
Young people were presented with a range of possible reasons to play sport and asked to rank how much those reasons applied to them. Two of the top three reasons given are health-related: to improve physical health and to get into or stay in shape. Overall, 90% said improving physical health applies to them “a lot” or “a little” and getting in shape applies to them either “a lot” or “a little.”
About half of all young people surveyed reporting that on days when there is physical activity, they enjoy school more (55%) and their concentration is better (46%). The benefits are even clearer when comparing those young people who play sport or are physically active at least once a week with young people who are active less than once a month. The more active group were more likely to report that they are happy with their school performance (70%) and enjoy school (68%), than those playing less than once a month (61% and 58% respectively). The active group was also more likely to find it easier to concentrate at school after physical activity (48%) than the less active group (29%).
Young people who played sport or did physical activity at least once per week were more likely to report feeling happy most of the time, greater self-confidence, feeling a sense of belonging, ability to concentrate for long periods, being outgoing, rarely feeling stressed or anxious when compared to those who didn't play sport or do physical activity (less than once a month).
Seventy-two per cent of young people think playing sport (for example, football, basketball, tennis, etc. but excluding Esports) is important. There are, however, marked demographic differences in attitude, including a general trend for fewer females than males to think that sport is important and for females to be less likely to consider sport very important. The perceived importance of sport also declines with age, with 70% of 20-24-year-olds reporting sport as important, compared with 75% of 12-15-year-olds.
When asked separately about physical activity (for example, going for a walk, going for a bike ride, going to the gym, etc.) 82% of young people think it is important, including 39% who think it is very important. While there are gender-based differences in strength of opinion (with males more likely to consider physical activity very important), combined importance scores are not significantly different between males and females overall. Further, in contrast to attitudes to sport, the perceived importance of physical activity does not decline as dramatically with age.
Although it was not among the headline barriers reported by young people, over a third said that their participation in sport is not that important to their families and that this was a barrier to them being (more) active.
Eighty-nine per cent of respondents reported that having fun was a reason they play sport, with 56% saying this applies to them a lot – the highest-ranking reason. The propensity to cite “having fun” as a driver of participation decreases with age, with the older groups more likely than their younger counterparts to be playing sport more for its impact on their physical, mental and emotional health.
The concerns expressed by young people about participating in sport more (or at all) provide an insight into what stops them having fun. They were concerned, a little or a lot about doing it with strangers, or on their own, and about the judgement of others, and not being fit enough. Each of these issues is more of a concern for the group of young people who feel negatively about sport.
Sport, Stereotypes and Stolen Dreams: Why girls still feel they don’t belong in sport, opens in a new tab, Women in Sport, (March 2023). Funded by Sport England this research project conducted in depth work with 24 families who have daughters and ran two nationally representative surveys over 2,000 parents of girls and boys aged 5-11 years old. We explored girls’ early experiences of sport and physical activity and the attitudes and influences that shape perceptions at this young age. Only 30% of parents think playing sport is very important for their daughters compared to 41% of parents for their son.
82% of girls ages 5 to 11 with parents who loved sport also loved sport themselves, compared to 59% of girls with parents who didn’t like sport.
Girls’ enjoyment and motivation in sport centred around four key elements: personal achievement; a feeling of belonging and familiarity; seeing others like them taking part; and experiencing that feel-good factor and freedom sport and exercise elicit.
What do we need to do to give girls a more positive start? Surround girls with the expectation that they will succeed; Build girls’ skills early so there’s a level playing field; Don’t ‘dumb it down’ for girls; Provide more opportunities for young girls; Harness the school and after school environment.
Change the Game 2.0: Change the Culture, Change the Game, opens in a new tab, MLSE Foundation, (October 2022). Through an intersectional approach, the study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on youth sport, the demographics of access and engagement, barriers to participation, and ideas for building a better sport system for Ontario’s diverse youth. This report provides fresh insights on who has been able to return to play, the quality of their experience and, more profoundly, explores issues of culture, belonging and wellness, reinforced by two years of data and the perspectives of thousands of youth. In total, 8202 youth and parents across Ontario participated in this research by sharing their return-to-play experiences relating to sport access, engagement, equity, and culture.
Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls: Tackling Teenage Disengagement, opens in a new tab, Women in Sport, (March 2022). This report funded by Sport England summarises survey findings of over 4,000 adolescent girls and boys to understand the similarities and differences in their attitudes towards sport and physical activity. Importantly we were able to understand how the various barriers play out for sporty and non-sporty girls, identifying the barriers that are magnified differently across three key groups The Uninspired, The Missed Opportunity, The Passionate Participants. Teenage girls are not a homogenous group. They have different lived experiences of sport and exercise and attitudes towards it, which fundamentally influence their behaviours. Understanding their startpoint is key to creating truly effective offers that will inspire more girls to get active.
Teenage girls are much more likely to say they are no longer sporty, 43% compared to 24% of boys). They enjoyed and engaged with sport and exercise when younger but fell ‘out of love’ with it in their teens, post primary school.
88% of girls who used to be sporty said sport and exercise had changed since primary school. Top 5 reasons girls disengaged: Motivation: No longer able to take part just for fun (32%). Priority: Too busy with schoolwork now (27%); Value: It’s no longer important to me (25%); Pressure: Sport got too competitive (24%); Opportunity: Not as many opportunities to take part (23%).
Around 7 in 10 avoid being active when on their period, often due to pain (73%), fear of leakage (62%), tiredness (52%), self-consciousness (45%).
Less than a third of teenage girls feel supported by their dad, compared to half of boys. Yet boys and girls feel equally supported by their mum. Friends can be positive and negative influencers for girls – girls feel less supported by their friends to be active than boys.
Periods and schoolwork affect girls regardless of their engagement levels. Fear of judgement and lack of self-belief still affect even many of the sporty girls.
Overall, 64% of girls enjoy competitive sport compared to 74% of boys. Rates change depending on how engaged they are in sport: 84% for girls who are sport now (87% of boys); 59% of girls who used to be sporty (65% of boys); and, 23% of girls who were never sporty (22% of boys).
Life-stages-resource.pdf, Australian Sports Commission, (2020). Exploring each life stage in detail allows organisations to understand the physical activity levels and behaviours of each age group and target their participation offerings accordingly. It’s also important to understand that sports and clubs don’t need to have an offer for every age group. It’s often more effective to target life stages or market segments when launching a new product or modifying an existing participation experience. Life stages include children (5-11 and 12-14 years), youth (15-17 years), young adults (18-24 and 25-34 years), adults (18-34 years), and older adults (aged 55 years and over).
Player Development Framework: Implementation report, opens in a new tab, National Rugby League (NRL), (2020). Includes both the 2019 Test Regions Report and the 2020 Results Report. The findings of these reports, illustrate the positive impact the framework can have on participant experiences when applied in its entirety.
School Sport Survey: State of the Nation 2022, opens in a new tab, Sport Wales, (2022). The School Sport Survey is a national survey of pupils from years 3 to 11, looking into attitudes, behaviours and opportunities for young people in sport. The survey is key to understanding who, where, and how often young people participate in, and have a demand for, sport(s). Teachers are also offered the opportunity to share their views on school sport provision and the support they need to deliver it. The results of the survey allow Sport Wales, schools, local authorities, sports and the wider sector to shape the future of sport, in line with the voices of young people. This report contains key data that can help to better understand the sporting landscape for young people across Wales, providing a base of evidence from which to shape policy and practice. Responses to ‘I would do more sport if...’ by gender showed that a much higher percentage of girls reported they would do more sport if they were ‘more confident’ (31% compared to 17%); better at sports (23% to 17%), or if someone went with me (31% compared to 15%). Girls were also more likely to report lower enjoyment of PE, extracurricular sport, and community sport.
The availability of sport facilities at the school or in the community were reported as the most likely factors to influence both the curricular and extracurricular sport offer. Meanwhile, teachers reported that pupil preference influences around half of schools curricular and extracurricular sport offers.
Unmet demand refers to those who do not participate in sport three or more times a week, yet have a demand to do more sport. 56% of pupils had unmet demand, the equivalent of 175,000 pupils. Unmet demand was also higher for primary school pupils (60%) compared to secondary school pupils (53%).
Latent demand is where pupils say they would like to do more of a particular sport. 93% (292,000) of pupils in Wales had a latent demand to do more sport. Primary school pupils were more likely to have a latent demand for more sport (96%) compared to secondary school pupils (91%).
28% of pupils stated that they were ‘very confident’ in trying new sports, while 8% of pupils said they were ‘not confident at all’. Although boys were significantly more likely than girls to say that they were ‘very confident’ in trying new sports, both genders were equally as likely to say they were ‘quite confident’.
Asian Girls Insight Research: Barclays Girls' Football School Partnership by England Football, opens in a new tab, Youth Sport Trust, (August 2021). There is currently a lack of Asian girls accessing both participation and leadership opportunities through football. This research formed part of the work funded by The Football Association to provide a better understanding of the specific demographic of Asian girls. It was an insight piece of work, using a sample of the target population. The 39 Asian female participants were a mixture of girls engaged with and not engaged with sport, football and physical activity, from Years 8 to 10 (ages 12-15). The influence of the family was an overarching theme that emerged from the focus groups. There was a mix of girls from those who felt they had supportive parents, encouraging them to play sport and be active, to those who felt that they experienced barriers to participation as a direct result of their families.
Culture was a theme that emerged within this, with some girls feeling that their community and culture was a barrier to them participating in sport or physical activity. Some girls expressed the belief that boys in their families are treated differently to them as girls, for lots of different areas of their life but for sport in particular. This was especially the case with playing football, where some of the negative stereotypes around girls’ football may influence decisions, with some girls feeling that families believe they cannot be seen as being masculine.
Clothing was another emerging theme from the focus groups. This theme was really important to the girls for three reasons: personal, religious and cultural.
Girls still felt that a main barrier to girls playing football was the wider societies belief that football is a sport for boys.
Girls highlighted the important role PE plays in encouraging and supporting girls to participate in football. Ensuring PE is open and inclusive, as well as promoting the positive work girls are achieving in PE, is something girls felt would improve participation. Additionally, girls felt that within school, they should be given as many opportunities as the boys to be involved in sport whether that be as a coach or participant, as currently they do not feel they get equal opportunities.
Asian girls’ safety can often be a barrier to them participating in sport, with some girls highlighting that in the winter after school clubs can finish in the dark and so parents worry about them getting home safely.
Understanding, and listening to the needs of Asian girls was highlighted by the girls as the one of the most important aspects.
Fear of judgement was noted by many girls and so could be regarded as a main theme of the focus groups.
Participating in sport with those of the same ability, was another factor highlighted by the girls in the focus groups. It could be suggested that this factor relates to their feelings of being judged by others, as if they are in a group with those of the same ability, others are less likely to judge them if they do something wrong or do not perform in a certain way.
One of those needs is ensuring the space used is private so boys cannot watch them participating in sport. A lot of the girls felt judged by boys, as they laugh if girls make a mistake and tell girls that boys are more skilled at sport than them. Therefore, having a girls-only private space would allow girls to feel comfortable and be themselves which encourages them to participate in sport.
some felt that having a female coach was important as again this would ensure the space was female-only. Ideally, girls would like the coach to be a teacher, as they felt like some students do not take the session seriously if it was led by their peers and their male peers sometimes make comments about the girls’ participation in sport.
In regards to PE and other sports clubs, girls suggested they would like to be given a variety of sports that they could chose to participate in, including ones that they have not tried before as well as activities that they already enjoy.
Girls acknowledged that they would be much more likely to participate if they were with people they know and liked and playing with people they did not know was perceived a barrier. Girls are more likely to feel comfortable and have a more enjoyable experience with their friends. A few girls described that when their Asian Girls Insight Research Page 11 of 16 friends stopped playing, they were then more likely to stop playing.
Secondary Age Review, opens in a new tab, Sport New Zealand, (March 2019). This research looks into secondary school aged young people’s participation in sport and active recreation, and current and future enablers and barriers to this participation. The Secondary Age Review was conducted in response to the Active NZ survey (2017) and concerns that the changing participation needs of 12–17-year-olds in Aotearoa are not being met by today’s sport and active recreation offering. Key insights include: Our Active NZ Survey (2017) also clarifies that although some activities may be traditionally viewed as sport, many participants view their engagement with them as non-competitive. For example, across the whole young people age range (5-18-years) only 30 per cent viewed their participation in football as competitive, 26 per cent in basketball, 50 per cent in netball and 42 per cent in rugby.
The majority (76 per cent) of young people participate in physical activity for fun, to hang out with friends (45 per cent) for fitness and health (31 per cent) and to learn new skills (31 per cent). These motivations differ by type of activity, and the primary motivation shifts from fun to health and fitness through the teenage years. This trend is more evident for girls (6 per cent difference throughout the teenage years), and girls are significantly more likely to be active to lose or maintain weight, particularly in the 15–17-year age group (22 per cent vs10 per cent).
Irrespective of the level of activity they are currently undertaking, all secondary-aged young people wish to do more activity (73 per cent), particularly girls in the 12-14-year age group.
The main barrier to increasing participation is time – 48 per cent of those who would like to be more active are too busy. Busy lives assume greater significance as young people progress through their teens – 41 per cent of 12-14-year-olds cite other commitments as the reason why they don’t do as much activity as they would like, climbing to 55 per cent in the 15-17-year age group, and continuing to increase post-secondary school.
Eighteen per cent (of 12-14-year-olds) and 30 per cent (of 15-17-year-olds) don’t have the energy and similar proportions (16 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively) can’t motivate themselves to be active. A significant proportion (21 per cent) are affected by judgement barriers: lack of confidence, fitness or fear of failure. Judgement barriers are more prevalent for girls (25 per cent for girls cf. 16 per cent for boys).
Fifteen per cent of young people in this age group are also impacted by social barriers: not having anyone to participate with, or a peer group that is not active in the activities sought by the young person.
Supply can also present a barrier to participation – this is particularly evident in low decile, high deprivation areas, and geographically isolated communities. These communities typically do not have access to a wide variety of sport and activity providers, sport and recreation facilities or equipment. Logistical barriers such as a lack of transport options, events and activities that are on at the ‘wrong’ time and financial constraints also present significant challenges.
Sport NZ’s Voice of Participant survey (VoP) showed relatively higher disaffection than other age cohorts with the club experience among young people in selected sports. They were particularly dissatisfied with the registration process and were less likely than other age groups to recommend the club to others. Girls, in particular, are less satisfied than boys, particularly in the areas of fairness, facilities and inclusiveness.
Secondary-aged young people are more likely to join a community club for competition, seek improved coaching through that environment and to have been injured in the past 12 months, when compared with other age cohorts.
Our Active NZ Survey (2017) shows a positive correlation between the amount of time spent being active, and a series of wellbeing indicators: emotional wellbeing, healthy eating, sleep and reduced screen time.
Young people are increasingly seeking a customised, personalised experience in sport and active recreation. The provision of opportunities needs to accommodate workloads at school (increasing), the need to remain connected to (and develop new) peer groups, after-school responsibilities, and to provide a positive, reinforcing experience from their involvement. The ability and tendency to opt in and out of activity depending on the ‘fit’ with young people’s lives has implications for the current sport delivery model.
AusPlay Focus: Children's participation in organised physical activity outside of school hours, Australian Sports Commission, (April 2018). Provides an analysis of the 2016/2017 AusPlay data as it relates to children's participation outside of school hours in organised physical activity (i.e. not free play or school sport). Information includes top sports/activities, demographics, barriers, and time spent.
Addressing the decline in sport participation in secondary schools, opens in a new tab, Australian Sports Commission and La Trobe University, (November 2017). The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) partnered with La Trobe University’s Centre for Sport and Social Impact to conduct a research pilot involving secondary schools and sport sector partners to evaluate, measure and report on the impact of interventions. The findings build upon existing global research to provide a better understanding of what is successful in the Australian school context. The research identified: the groups of disengaged students, who they are, their barriers and motivations; the value of the sport-in-school relationship and how to build it; and strategies to enhance engagement through program delivery, deliverer and design. The research also collated: 10 Recommended development areas for sporting organisations currently delivering in secondary schools; and 14 Program design and delivery principles for creating new secondary school sport programs. Key motivators for students were: Physical health and fitness, Learning or improving sport skills, Interpersonal skills i.e. teamwork, Mental stimulation and health, Social aspect and fun, Environmental benefits i.e. getting fresh air outdoors.
Key barriers for schools were: Curriculum pressures; teacher capability and resources (time); cost; available equipment and facilities; communication and innovation between school and sport clubs; sport workforce and delivery network (from NSOs/clubs).
Key barriers for students (in school) were: loss of interest; competing extra-curricular commitments; long-term disengagement from sport; education and awareness of the benefits of sport; Injury; Confidence; Cultural barriers; Gender; Weather; Familiarity with the sport; Barriers faced by their school.
Key barriers for students (outside of school) were: parent/guardian support (financial, time, priorities, not valuing sport, gender bias, far of injury); other time commitments; changing sports (from ones they already know/participate in); Limited access; Skill competence for competition (not being skilled enough); Conflict between school and out-of-school competitions.
National Junior Rugby League Players' Experiences: Players’ experiences and the impact on retention rates, opens in a new tab, Dr Wayne Usher, Griffith University for the National Rugby League (NRL), (2017). A mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) approach was employed to investigate possible associations between all four experiences. The survey provided Junior players, who returned to play in the 2017 RL season, with the opportunity to record and voice their ‘lived experience’. Findings from this study provide a omprehensive ‘snapshot’ of the current Junior RL landscape, presenting useful findings pertaining to players’ experiences (2017). A summary of results and potential recommendations are presented throughout this report, with the aim to draw attention to some of the more important patterns of associations between the four measurable experiences (coaching, player, club and socialisation). On the basis of these findings, it is recommended that a number of current processes and practices, undertaken by the NRL, require modification or prioritising, to assist with minimising and/or eliminating the various factors that have been identified by Junior participants as points of affect.
Investigating motives that influence Australia’s Rugby League retention rates: Players’ experiences and the impact on retention rates, opens in a new tab, Dr Wayne Usher, Griffith University for the National Rugby League (NRL), (2017). This report presents findings from individual groups (Junior and Senior), combined (Junior and Senior) and individual governing bodies (i.e., NSWRL, NSWCRL, QRL and Affiliated States). Such a thorough approach has provided a burden of evidence, concerning elements of the RL culture, which impact and influence player retention motivations. It is also important to note, that whilst there are a number of immediate strategies RL can commence with to address retention motivations, there are certain facets of the game and data findings that will be out of the control and reach of the sport (i.e., individual player transitional life phases— relocations, heightened and fluctuating study, work and family commitments). Subsequently, from the findings, this report provides eleven recommendations that the NRL may give consideration to, in an attempt to address the identified areas of concern. When asked to use one of 10 categories to indicate why they did not return to RL in 2017, junior participants were most likely to report a negative experience (25%), injury, fear of injury or illness (15%), losing interest in playing (13%) joining another sporting club (11%) or other commitments (10.4%). Beyond this, participants reported other reasons, evenly distributed, across relocating and not being able to play with friends. (p.33)
Junior players agreed most strongly around ‘player selection was not fair’, felt that their ‘contribution was not valued’ and ‘low levels of fun’. These were the top three negative experiences which influenced their decision to not return to play in 2017. (p.37)
Australian kids need active, sporty parents, Factsheet,  Australian Sports Commission , AusPlay Survey (2017). Research from the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) shows active parents are more likely to have active kids. AusPlay collects data from only one randomly selected parent and only one randomly selected child in the same household. This report therefore does not consider the influence of both parents on child participation. 72 per cent of children who have at least one active parent are physically active in organised sport or physical activity outside of school compared to just 53 per cent of children with at least one inactive parent.
Nearly 90 per cent of kids with at least one parent who plays and volunteers in sport are active in organised sport or physical activity outside of school.
Those who only play without being involved as a volunteer in sport are also much more likely to have active kids compared to those parents who are not involved at all.
While the activity habits of parents influence whether a child is active or not, there is also a link between parents’ sports preferences and what their children do. 31 per cent of children participated in the same sport or physical activity as one of their parent’s. Where at least one parent plays a club sport, 50 per cent of children also played that same sport.
Under the skin Understanding youth personalities to help young people get active, opens in a new tab, Sport England, (2016). We delved deeper into the lives of 1,997 young people aged between 14 and 25. We explored their hobbies and habits, friends and families, beliefs, ambitions and fears. We also built up a picture of their physical activity – how active they are, the sports and exercise they do and their attitudes to being active. Going beyond the lens of sport gave us a much clearer understanding of the different personality types of young people in England today. When we analysed the data we’d collected, we were able to define six broad groups of young people. These groups are primarily based on life motivations and attitudes, but were also influenced by how engaged they are in sport and basic demographics (age, gender and education). Our Youth Insight work was valuable, but we knew we could do more. We felt sure connecting our understanding of young people’s lifestyles with their relationship with sport would help our partners get even more young people active. As with any categorisation, these groups are unlikely to represent a single young person exactly. While each young person will fit one category best, some might display characteristics which overlap several different groups. It’s important to see each group as a broad overview of a personality type.One in 10 urban primary schools engaged external agencies to deliver sport. A lack of teacher confidence and time are significant barriers to delivering quality PE programs and have led to an increasing trend among Australian primary schools to use external providers to deliver various PE activities.
The most common barriers to promoting physical activity reported by primary school principals were competing demands on curriculum time (52%) and the expertise of teachers (27%). Overall, one-fifth of schools indicated a lack of wet/hot weather facilities for student activity was a strong barrier, and this was more common for urban schools (25%) than rural (13%). Barriers, such as the design of girls’ sport uniforms, students’ cultural backgrounds, and gender, did not apply to most schools.
The main approaches to promoting student physical activity were encouraging use of equipment and facilities during school (84%), encouraging students to be more active outside school (66%) and encouragement or merit awards (61%).
Competing demands on curriculum time was a clear barrier, particularly for rural secondary schools. The prevalence of secondary schools reporting a lack of interest from students as a barrier to enhancing skill development, fitness and physical activity was high (rural, 92%; urban 71%).
Principals of rural compared with urban secondary schools more frequently reported barriers, including the amount of equipment available (75% vs 32%), teacher expertise (67% vs 41%), and motivation/ attitude of members of staff to teach FMS or promote physical activity (75% vs 51%).
The cultural background of students and the design of girls’ sports uniforms applied more to urban schools.
The main approach to promoting student physical activity was through encouragement or merit awards (56%).
NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (SPANS) 2015: Full Report, opens in a new tab, Hardy LL, Mihrshahi S, Drayton BA, et al., NSW Department of Health, (2016). As part of the SPANS study the School Environment Questionnaire (SEQ) was completed by the school Principal or school liaison officer of participating schools. The SEQ information is used in conjunction with the student assessments to help identify factors, including barriers and enablers, associated with children’s physical activity and healthy eating at school. The questionnaire differed slightly between primary and secondary schools. Some key findings relating to sport, physical activity, and physical education included: 
Market Segmentation – Parents, Australian Sports Commission, (June 2015). The vast majority of parents agree that physical activity is good for their child. Having inactive children may reflect negatively on them as parents which can be a significant driver. Because of this some parents feel significant pressure to ensure their children are participating in some type of sport or physical activity. Parents will encourage an activity for reasons to do with: Safety (e.g. learn to swim), Physical or psychological difficulties, Status or identity, Future opportunities. Children will ask to do an activity mostly due to a direct stimulus from: Peers, Parents’ interest, Role models, Opportunity for trial.
Youth Insights Pack: The challenge of growing youth participation in sport, opens in a new tab, Sport England, (August 2014). The result of our recent research is this pack of insights, which is divided into sections to break down the material into more manageable chunks: The first section provides an overview of life as a 14-25 year old today to set the context for their relationship with sport. This includes the challenges of growing up in a recession, the changes that young people go through, the role of their peers and the importance of technology in their lives. The second section introduces and explores what we have learned about young people’s attitudes towards sport and the relationship these have to their behaviours. It concludes we need to take action to break the norm if we are to increase youth participation. The third section explores in more depth the characteristics of three key audiences; young people who are positive about sport but mostly not participating, those who recognise the benefits and have a functional relationship with sport/activity, and those who are uninterested in participating in sport. It then provides a set of design principles which detail the type of overall experience each audience group is looking for. The pack concludes with examples of programmes and approaches that are already successfully engaging different audiences through applying some of the insights.
Research summary 13: Increasing Young People’s Motivation to Play through Coaching, opens in a new tab, sports coach UK, (2014). Fun is a key motivator for young people who play sport, but they are also looking for sporting experiences that connect with their social lives. New research illustrates how fun and positive peer relationships are interrelated, and essential in ensuring young people continue to participate in sport. – if young people’s relationships are positive, they are more likely to have fun playing sport and therefore be more motivated to continue playing. If the relationships they develop are not positive, they are more likely to drop out. However, the theory is more complex than simply suggesting that young people who play sport together need to get along. Most notably, their relationships change as they get older. At the younger age of around eight, they will rely on coaches and parents for feedback on their sporting ability. However, from age 10 onwards, they are more likely to compare themselves to their peers. The results of these peer comparisons will determine how they perceive their own ability and competence, which either reinforces or destroys their motivation to continue playing.
Market Segmentation - Children, Australian Sports Commission, (May 2013). The Market Segmentation Study provides key insights outlining how the sport sector can influence motivations and behaviours children have towards sport and physical activity. These include: providing sport delivery that focuses on fun and enjoyment rather than competition; providing products and services that are inclusive; promote equal treatment; and focus on fun and participation regardless of skill level and ability; providing a variety of pricing packages and different types of membership that allow for flexibility of attendance and time commitment; and identifying the potential for growth opportunities with regards to sport club membership by understanding the needs of different segments and the products they may be attracted to. Some key insights include: Only 1 in 4 children cited sport as a main interest / hobby (39% - 32% for recreational sport and 18% for competitive sport). While the incidence of competitive sport increased with age (9% for 5–7-year-olds compared to 24% for both 8–10-year-olds and 11–13-year-olds) so too did other non-sport activities reflecting higher levels of independence and expanding lifestyles as children get older.
Most children believed sport provides a multitude of benefits that included physical benefits through exercise (88%), mental benefits (85%), social benefits (84%) and fun and enjoyment (81%). Competitive success was less important to children (61% on ‘I love the feeling of winning/ being the best at sport’). This reinforced earlier findings that the purpose of participation in physical activity or sport was not always competitive.
Children were most likely to see regular sport / physical recreation to be ‘good for you’ (84%), that sport is more fun when done with other children (79%), that sports are fun (78%), and that performing well in sport makes you feel good about yourself (75%). This reiterates the findings that for children, sport is seen to be a way to socialise and have fun.
For children the positives of being part of a sports club focused more on the emotional aspects of participation. They were mostly concerned with having fun, being able to spend time with their friends and not being bored. Competition and ability were less important. It was also apparent that most children participating in club sport did not really question or rationalise why they do sport, rather they ‘just do sport’.
Children joined a sports club for fun / enjoyment (38%). Other motivators included trying a new sport (10%), getting better at sport (8%) or to get fit / do exercise / improve health (6%). The social aspect was also factor with 10% joining because friends were joining and 3% to meet new kids.
Children readily attribute many benefits to sports club membership which can be broadly classified into physical benefits (75%), social benefits (75%), acceptance (71%) and identity pride (58%). In addition to facilitating exercise (75% nett mentions), clubs were most likely to be seen to be a place to meet up with friends and make friends (68%). The social aspect and enjoyment / fun is the key benefit associated with clubs for children also evidenced in the high proportion who agreed that they ‘enjoy the friendship and fun you get at sports clubs’ (63%).
Encouragingly, children were also likely to see sports clubs to be welcoming to all (63%) and that you don’t have to be good to join (60%). That said, children didn’t necessarily see sports clubs to be a ‘big role in my life’ (31%). This was perhaps due to the many competing interests – other sporting and non-sporting related interests. general attitudes toward clubs where there was a perception of clubs being better if you are good at sport (47%) or that sports clubs are too focused on winning and ‘that’s no fun’ (21%).
Older children aged 11-13 years old were more likely to cite competitiveness of clubs, a dislike of sport in general and not wanting to participate in sport and training every week as barriers to club participation.
Understanding enjoyment within the context of the children-to-youth sport transition in Norwegian soccer: A mixed methods study, opens in a new tab, Thomas Mangor Jørgensen, Siv Gjesdal, Frank Eirik Abrahamsen, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Volume 75, (November 2024). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate youth soccer players’ enjoyment within the children-to-youth sport transition context. The quantitative phase consisted of 214 soccer players (28.2 % girls, Mage = 12.56 years) who completed a questionnaire, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. A total of 10 soccer players (6 boys and 4 girls) who had reported different levels of enjoyment were interviewed. The results indicated that expectation of success and the mastery-approach goal had a positive relationship with enjoyment. The qualitative data further revealed that love for the sport, being with friends, and learning and mastery were sources of enjoyment for the players. A key finding was that players experienced increased seriousness in the transition, which may have a negative impact on their enjoyment. In conclusion, coaches should emphasize players’ expectations of success, learning, and intrapersonal mastery, while creating a team culture that values friendship and passion for the sport. These strategies can enhance enjoyment, potentially sustaining youth participation in soccer during the children-to-youth sport transition.
(Re)defining youth sport participation, opens in a new tab, James Kay, S Elliott, J Côté, International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, (23 July 2024). Youth sport participation, retention, and dropout are well-established areas of academic interest in the interdisciplinary field of sport. However, terminology, definitions, and conceptualisations of participation vary significantly within the literature. This variation can potentially lead to inadvertent misreporting or deliberate manipulation of membership and/or participation data by clubs and sporting organisations, particularly when applying for highly prized, competitive grant funding opportunities. This paper advances sport participation terminology by reconceptualising youth sport behaviours that can be situated within the phases of enrolment and entry, retention, sustained engagement, sport transfer, dropout, sustained disengagement, and critically, re-engagement. The purpose of this critical commentary is to highlight the potential benefits of purposefully redefining phases of ‘sport participation’ and propose the Participation Re-Engagement (PRE) model – a new conceptualisation of sport participation for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to enhance policies, programmes, and interventions aimed at increasing organised youth sport participation.
Determinants of Change in Physical Activity in Children during the Transition from Elementary to High School, opens in a new tab, Russell R. Pate, Marsha Dowda, Rod K. Dishman, et al., Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, Volume 56(7), pp.1275-1284, (July 2024). Effective public health interventions targeting factors that influence physical activity are urgently needed to reduce the age-related decline in physical activity in youth. The purpose of this study was to identify associations between physical activity and a set of potential influences on physical activity in children as they transition from elementary to high school. As main effects, self-efficacy, self-schema, sport participation, weekday outdoor hours, importance of child participating in sports and physical activity, safe to play outside, and Physical Activity Resource Assessment weighted score were positively associated with physical activity. The associations between physical activity and enjoyment motivation, appearance motivation, weekend outdoor time, and home equipment exhibited significant interactions with age. Enjoyment motivation influenced physical activity during the earlier years, whereas the remaining three variables influenced physical activity in the later years.
Why sports? Sketching a typology of young people’s reasons for taking part in sports, opens in a new tab, Lars Erik Espedalen, Ørnulf Seippel, Sport in Society, (17 July 2024). We sketch a typology of sport participation reasons grounded in data from 2581 short-answers from youths in organized sports. We develop the typology abductively against theories from philosophy, sociology, and psychology to better capture the full scale of possible participation reasons in organized youth sport. Key empirical findings are, first, that in addition to having fun and being with friends, youths participate to expand their social networks and develop weak social ties into stronger ones. Second, competition and mastery are intertwined. Competitions can function as a measure stick for individual and team skill development. Third, physical and mental health reasons are common participation reasons. Youths appreciate how sport impact their everyday health. Fourth, youths combine reasons for sport participation in diverse ways that have theoretical and practical implications. We end by suggesting two ideal types of how organized sport participation reasons combine—a heavy and light sport appreciation. Authors also listed some surprising themes that emerged in the responses, including: One in twenty (5%) youths wrote that their main reason to do sport was to become a professional athlete, making money, being on the national team or becoming a world champion.
The coach and training sessions (4%) remain underemphasized in previous motive studies but was important for some youths in our data.
Five percent mentioned that partaking in organized structure, regardless of the sporting content, helped them in their daily life. Having an activity organized for them created a structure and discipline they appreciated.
‘What do you love about sport?’ Exploring boys’ and girls’ embodied experiences of sport, opens in a new tab, Niamh Kitching, Sport, Education and Society, (12 July 2024). There is a wealth of research documenting boys’ and girls’ gendered identities in and through sport, much of which provides a critical account of masculinist discourses, particularly related to team sports. Furthermore, while there are many accounts of children’s enjoyment of sport, definitions of fun and enjoyment are wide-ranging, and little has been written on children’s positive orientations towards sport from a corporeal perspective. Using the starting question, ‘what do you love about sport and how does it make you feel?’, this research explores how boys and girls speak about their embodied experiences in and through sport. Twenty-one focus groups took place with boys and girls (n = 147) from seven primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Before analysis, the data were separated into girls’ and boys’ responses. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the construction of patterns around girls’ and boys’ embodied experiences of sport. Boys described their experiences predominantly in terms of physical encounters such as collisions and skill improvement. Girls displayed a wider array of feelings and sensations towards sport, describing experiences as calming, prioritising social interactions, while physical experiences were also important. While many of the results conform with normative gendered discourses, there are some examples of both girls and boys subverting these subjectivities, with girls in middle childhood accessing a wider range of physical identities than previously imagined. Given the importance attached to children’s embodied accounts of their sporting experiences, implications for children’s continued enjoyment and participation in sport are considered, particularly related to the provision of meaningful experiences for girls in sport.
Creating optimally safe and enjoyable youth sporting experiences within the United Kingdom, opens in a new tab, Maita G. Furusa, Camilla J. Knight, Thomas D. Love, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Volume 73, (July 2024). The purpose of the current study was to explore perceptions of the process through which an optimally safe and enjoyable sporting experience can be created for young people. Interviews were conducted with 19 young people, six parents, nine coaches, and five individuals in safeguarding roles. The interviews were analysed through open and axial coding, followed by theoretical integration. The resultant theory highlighted that establishing positive relationships between all young people and key individuals in a physically and developmentally safe environment was a fundamental requirement for fostering an optimally safe and enjoyable sporting experience. Achieving this required consideration of factors both in the immediate and broad sporting context. Specifically, support from sports organisations, access to continuing professional development opportunities, and a network of safeguarding experts are required in the broader environment. While within the immediate sporting environment, visibly displayed and appropriately implemented safeguarding policies and procedures; open, honest, and respectful interactions; shared goals and expectations between parents, coaches, and young people, and; trusting and supportive friendships with shared experiences are required.
The motivations to play organised club-based sport in Australia, opens in a new tab, Rochelle Eime, Jack Harvey, Melanie Charity, et al., Leisure Studies, (1 May 2024). The aim of this study was to investigate the motivations to play sport across: age, gender, residential location and the settings, modes and level of participation. An online survey of sport participants asked about age, gender, residential location, type of sports and physical activities participated in, frequency and duration of play, and motivations for playing organised club-based sport. Survey respondents (N = 4,395) were aged between 13–92 years. An online survey of sport participants was conducted during May and June 2020 using the Qualtrics survey tool. Recruitment to the survey was primarily facilitated by national and state sporting organisations. The target population was people aged 13 years or older who were registered with a State or National Sporting Organisation in the 2019 and/or 2020 playing seasons to participate in one or more sports. The sport organisations that sent out the survey invitation to their registered participants represent major sports in Victoria and Australia. Overwhelmingly, the main motivation to play sport across all demographic groups and sport characteristics was fun and enjoyment. Other main motivations to play sport were physical health or fitness (which may promote autonomy), performance and competition, followed by social reasons (relatedness), to be with friends (relatedness), and for a sense of achievement (competence). The motivations to play sport also differed across the lifespan.
Young people (aged 13–17 years) were more motivated for physical health or fitness, performance, and competition as well as a sense of achievement and to learn new skills. Adults aged 18–59 were much less motivated by performance and competition incentives and played more for health reasons (including mental health and losing weight), to be a good role model, or for their job/career which included playing and coaching. Older adults were more likely to be motivated to play for social reasons, which included being with their friends.
Peer and parent influences on youth skateboarding and factors that affect their decision to return to the sport after injury, opens in a new tab, Barbara A. Morrongiello, Mackenzie Seasons, Emillie Erum, et al., Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Volume 70, (January 2024). Skateboarding is an increasingly popular sport among youth, despite the fact that they are a high-risk group for injuries during this activity. The purpose of this study was twofold: to explore youths’ perceptions about the influences that peers and parents have on their skateboarding; and to identify factors that affect their decisions about returning to the sport after injury. Virtual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 youth, 14–17 years of age, who had experienced a medically-treated injury while skateboarding during the past year. Applying thematic analyses, major findings indicated that sharing the activity with peers fosters psychological well-being, companionship, and a valued sense of community that motivates return to the sport even after serious injury and sometimes before they are fully physically ready to do so safely. Parental concerns about physical injury (vulnerability, severity) were acknowledged but not influential, with youth feeling that parents do not appreciate the valued mental health benefits that they experience from the skateboarding community. Youth reported withholding injury information from parents, hiding injuries and downplaying their severity, and not always disclosing returning to the sport. Youths’ decisions to return to the sport after injury was motivated by their feelings that skateboarding enhances their sense of identity, promotes their mental health, and provides respite because it allows them to escape from reality temporarily. Recommendations for reducing risk of injury to youth skateboarders at skateparks are provided.
Dropout and social inequality: young people’s reasons for leaving organized sports, opens in a new tab, Lars Erik Espedalen, Ørnulf Seippel, Annals of Leisure Research, Volume 27(2), pp.197-214, (2024). Few quantitative studies have looked at how reasons for quitting organized sports vary according to social backgrounds. The present paper addresses this gap by investigating how youths’ perceptions of six reasons for dropping out of organized youth sports vary according to three types of social inequality: socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and gender. We utilize data from the 2015 Young in Oslo survey, where organized youth sport dropouts in grades 8–13 rated the importance of six reasons for dropping out (N = 2355, response rate = 72%). Two findings stand out. First, gender differences were subtle and often related to ethnicity; they were more pronounced among majority youths than minority youths. Second, well-resourced majority youths were more likely to consider a lack of sports skills and friends who quit as important to dropout while minority youths with less resources more often highlighted discouragement from parents and sport expenses.
Youth sport dropout according to the Process-Person-Context-Time model: a systematic review, opens in a new tab, Kylie Moulds, Sheila Galloway, Shaun Abbott, et al., International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 17(1), pp.440-481, (2024). This study systematically reviewed how youth sport dropout literature has been theoretically framed; how dropout has been defined and measured; and, mapped all influential factors previously associated (or not) with dropout across and within youth sport. Peer-reviewed literature (N = 69 studies) published over four decades (1980–2021) residing within five databases was synthesised using a mixed-methods review approach. Existing identified studies examined single or multi-sport (male and female) youth sport contexts worldwide, at different participation levels, although predominantly local club-level. Prior studies predominantly adopted psychological-based theoretical frameworks; often didn’t define dropout; assessed dropout descriptively; and, focused upon the influence of psychological-based factors. From a PPCT perspective, competition structure, relative age (Process), sex, competence perception (Personal), parental socio-demographics, and conflicts with other activities (Context) were frequently identified as influential to dropout across contexts. Although not explicitly utilising the PPCT, sixteen studies examined factors across PPCT levels, with one identifying significant independent influences across the model. Future research is recommended to apply more encompassing (social-ecological) theoretical frameworks; specify dropout definitions and measures; and apply more advanced analytical methods. To help improve study methodological quality, the ‘Youth Sport Dropout - Study Checklist (YSD-SC)’ is presented.
The interplay between parental behaviors and adolescents' sports-related values in understanding adolescents' dropout of organized sports activities, opens in a new tab, Darun Jaf, Stefan Wagnsson, Therése Skoog, et al., Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Volume 68, (September 2023). The primary goal of the present study was to examine the interplay between adolescents’ sports-related intrapersonal (e.g., sports values) and interpersonal factors (e.g., perceived parental involvement) in relation to sports dropout. A secondary goal was to explore the direction of effects in the association between intra- and interpersonal factors. A total of 420 Swedish adolescents (39% girls, Mage = 14.06; SDage = 0.33) responded to a set of survey questions over two consecutive years. Results suggested that parental involvement predicted adolescents’ dropout one year later, via sports values. Further, the results suggested that the direction of influence is mainly from parents to adolescents. Overall, the findings indicate that adolescents whose parents attend their practices and games perceive sports activities as fun, important and useful; as a result, adolescents are less likely to dropout. The findings offer an improved understanding of how parents’ behaviors may influence adolescents’ dropout of organized sports.
Exploring why young Australians participate in the sport of fencing: Future avenues for sports-based health promotion, opens in a new tab, Elly Ganakas, Amy E. Peden, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 34(1), pp.48-59, (January 2023). A retrospective, mixed-methods survey design was employed to measure why a participant started fencing and what participants like about fencing compared to other sports. One hundred and one fencers across Australia who started fencing aged <18 years completed the survey. Respondents primarily started fencing for fun/enjoyment, followed by the desire to try something different/alternative/nonmainstream. Four themes were identified relating to why a participant decided to start fencing: (i) external motivators, (ii) influence of interest and imagination, (iii) developing the self and (iv) the supportive culture. Fencing may encourage adolescent participation in physical activity due to unique characteristics which attracts individuals for reasons beyond the need to be active alone, and instead affords a space for self-exploration, learning, and belonging. Further research is required to identify how fencing can engage different cohorts of adolescents, and any barriers to participation.
Sport4Me: A people focused approach to engaging Australians in sport, opens in a new tab, Rochelle Eime, Hans Westerbeek, Shane Pill, et al., Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, Volume 4, (January 2023). The traditional model of community club-based sport is fine for those, particularly children and youth, who enjoy the competitive focus and have the skills and commitment to play. But societal preferences during leisure time have changed dramatically over recent decades. However, sport organisations have made limited progress in response to these changes in providing ways in which children and youth can participate outside the traditional competitive structures and environments. In this paper the context of community club-based structures is reviewed leading into an assessment of the associated impact of these structures on sport participation. Children and youth's current motivations to play sport including what makes sport fun to play, are considered. It is then demonstrated that the associations between motivations to play sport and the factors that contribute to fun and enjoyment, are often misaligned for many individuals, with a primary focus on competition-based structures to deliver community club sport. In the final part of the paper a model for community sport organisations where people are put first is proposed - Sport4Me. Sport4Me is about flexible, inclusive, equitable sporting opportunities that focus on friends, fun, physical literacy and play. The model would complement the traditional competitive club-based model and afford participants more choice whilst fostering an environment that promotes lifelong involvement in sport. This model will require structural and cultural changes to the sporting environment and include coaching practices. Sport4Me is an evidence-based model, but it is not radical in its conceptualisation but rather, builds on previously proposed approaches, considers the needs and wants of potential sport participants and widens the scope of sport delivery.
Exploring correlates of physical activity behaviour in UK children and their inter-relationships using a multidisciplinary approach: A concept mapping study, opens in a new tab, Mohammed Khudair, Gavin Daniel Tempest, Giancarlo Condello, et al., Journal of Sport Sciences, Volume 41(19), pp.1801-1812, (2023). It is still unknown which correlates of physical activity behaviour (PAB) may be effective and how they may influence PAB in UK children. The objective of the current study was to generate a conceptual analysis of the correlates of PAB in UK children (5–12 years) using the input of researchers in the field of physical activity (PA experts; PAE) and other fields (non-PA experts; non-PAE). A concept mapping approach was used to identify potential (new) correlates of PAB in children, assess their importance based on rating of potential modifiability and effect, and generate a concept map depicting the associations between them. In the first (brainstorming) stage (n = 32 experts) yielded 93 correlates, including 14 new correlates not identified in previous reviews. In the second (rating and sorting) stage (n = 26 experts), 32 correlates were rated as important and a four-cluster concept map was generated including themes related to Society/community, Home/social setting, Personal/social setting and Psychological/emotional correlates. Two additional concept maps were generated for PAE and non-PAE. From expert opinion, we identified new correlates of PAB that warrant further research and we highlight the need to consider the interaction between intrapersonal and external correlates when designing interventions to promote PA in UK children.
Let’s Hear It From the Kids! Examining the Experiences, Views, and Needs of Highly Committed Children Involved in Youth Sport , opens in a new tab, Jennifer J. Harris, Dave Collins, Christine Nash, The Sport Psychologist, Volume 37(2), pp.81-91, (2023). Sport specialization and intensive training programs are becoming increasingly popular, but there is an ongoing debateas to their value. This study explored how children experience arduous, specialized training and whether they find it enjoyable and meaningful. We also examined their perspective of what parental involvement they needed. One hundred three participants filled out an online questionnaire. Results demonstrated that the participants were almost without exception highly committed to their training. They acknowledged the documented downsides, such as long hours, pain, and repetition, but expressed resounding commitment, giving little indication that they looked for change. They admitted that they preferred their parents not to be involved with their coaching and disclosed that showing pride for them was their main wish. This study demonstrates that passion can engender powerful commitment and satisfaction from training that may be sometimes considered by others as too challenging for a young person to undertake.
Training programmes to learn how to ride a bicycle independently for children and youths: a systematic review, opens in a new tab, Cristiana Mercê, Joana Vilar Pereira, Marco Branco, et al., Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, Volume 28(5), pp.530-545, (2023). The purpose of this study was to review and summarize the existent studies of programmes that aim to teach children how to ride a bicycle independently, in order to identify which possibilities lead to a more efficient intervention. Nine intervention studies, including a randomized controlled trial, were included. The mean quality score was 11.8 ± 3.6 points. Just one of the included studies was targeted at children without disabilities. Different facilitating constraints and barriers were identified, which resulted in a list of tips for future intervention programmes to teach children how to ride a bicycle. The facilitating constrains were using a progressive learning strategy; using an individualized approach; making bicycle adjustments; having motivated children and having family support throughout the learning process. The barriers were: the fear of falling; lack of parents’ support; and lower leg strength. Learning to cycle was also associated with a decrease in sedentary time, increase in physical activity, improvement in leg strength, and a positive influence on body composition, indicating that it can be a solution to disrupt the cycle of consistent weight gain over time in children with disabilities.
Barriers to initiating and maintaining participation in parkrun, opens in a new tab, L. J. Reece, K. Owen, M. Graney, et al., BMC Public Health, Volume 22, Article: 83, (2022). This research had two objectives; i) explore the demographics of people who register for parkrun in United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and don’t initiate or maintain participation ii) understand the barriers to participating in parkrun amongst these people. Mandatory data at parkrun registration provided demographic characteristics of parkrun registrants. A bespoke online survey distributed across the three countries captured the reasons for not participating or only participating once. Of 680,255 parkrun registrants between 2017 and 19, 293,542 (43%) did not participate in any parkrun events and 147,148 (22%) only participated in one parkrun event. Females, 16–34 years and physically inactive were more likely to not participate or not return to parkrun. Inconvenient start time was the most frequently reported barrier to participating, with females more likely than males to report the psychological barrier of feeling too unfit to participate. Co-creating strategies with and for people living with a chronic disease, women, young adults, and physically inactive people, could increase physical activity participation within parkrun.
Parents Want Kids to Succeed in Sports, and Communication is Key, opens in a new tab, Dorsch TE, Fleming DJM and Hardiman AL, Frontiers for Young Minds, (2022). Parents want their children to learn various sports and skills and have fun playing. We found 43 individual goals that parents had for their children in sports, which we separated into the outcome, identity, and relational categories. Most goals were outcome related, followed by identity and relational goals. Within each of these categories there were subtypes of goals. Outcome goals: Avoid bad sports outcomes; Get better as an athlete; Grow as a person; Enjoy sports.
Identity goals: look like a good parent; Make child look good to others.
Relational goals: Make family relationships better; Become friends with others.
Barriers to initiating and maintaining participation in parkrun, opens in a new tab, L. J. Reece, K. Owen, M. Graney, et al., BMC Public Health, Volume 22, Article: 83, (2022). This research had two objectives; i) explore the demographics of people who register for parkrun in United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and don’t initiate or maintain participation ii) understand the barriers to participating in parkrun amongst these people. Mandatory data at parkrun registration provided demographic characteristics of parkrun registrants. A bespoke online survey distributed across the three countries captured the reasons for not participating or only participating once. Of 680,255 parkrun registrants between 2017 and 19, 293,542 (43%) did not participate in any parkrun events and 147,148 (22%) only participated in one parkrun event. Females, 16–34 years and physically inactive were more likely to not participate or not return to parkrun. Inconvenient start time was the most frequently reported barrier to participating, with females more likely than males to report the psychological barrier of feeling too unfit to participate. Co-creating strategies with and for people living with a chronic disease, women, young adults, and physically inactive people, could increase physical activity participation within parkrun.
Parents Want Kids to Succeed in Sports, and Communication is Key, opens in a new tab, Dorsch TE, Fleming DJM and Hardiman AL, Frontiers for Young Minds, (2022). Parents want their children to learn various sports and skills and have fun playing. We found 43 individual goals that parents had for their children in sports, which we separated into the outcome, identity, and relational categories. Most goals were outcome related, followed by identity and relational goals. Within each of these categories there were subtypes of goals. Outcome goals: Avoid bad sports outcomes; Get better as an athlete; Grow as a person; Enjoy sports.
Identity goals: look like a good parent; Make child look good to others.
Relational goals: Make family relationships better; Become friends with others.
The Sport Participation Pathway Model (SPPM): a conceptual model for participation and retention in community sport, opens in a new tab, Rochelle Eime, Melanie Charity, Hans Westerbeek, International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 14(2), pp.291-304, (2022). The aim of this study is to review sport participation trends, including new data on retention and drop-out across age groups in community club-based sport, and combine this data with evidence from literature about people moving in and out of sport, to develop the Sport Participation Pathway Model (SPPM), which provides a holistic view of sport participation. We conducted a 3-year analysis of sport participation for eight major sports from 2015–2017 for children and young people aged 4–29 years. The total number of participants was 579,696. Only half 50.8% played continuously for the three years, 44.7% dropped out, and 4.5% played discontinuously. Drop-out was highest for those aged 4 (57.0%), and lowest for those aged 10–14 years (39.3%). The SPPM demonstrates the movements of participation in sport and the drop-out at various stages out of competitive club-based sport and for those who are the main participants. The model is a standalone sport participation model that is a representation and integration of empirical sport participation. This model therefore is most useful for sports organisations to recognise issues around retention and drop-out. In developing sport policies, government can also use the model to make decisions on target groups and funding support.
What do adolescents and young adults strive for in sport and exercise? An explorative study on goal profiles in sport and exercise, opens in a new tab, Vanessa Gut, Achim Conzelmann, Julia Schmid, Journal of Sport Sciences, Volume 40(5), pp.571-582, (2022). In sport and exercise promotion, it is important to consider goals because achieving these goals leads to a sense of well-being and behaviour adherence. Individuals often pursue multiple goals simultaneously. Therefore, it is also important to not only consider each individual’s combination of goals but also to identify so-called “goal profiles”. Taking a developmental-psychological perspective, the goal profiles of adolescents (aged 14-19 years) may differ from those of young adults (aged 20-34 years). 966 adolescents and 636 young adults, were questioned by self-report on their goals in sport and exercise, self-determined motivation, sport and exercise behaviour, and gender. for the majority of adolescents and young adults: In adolescents, goals such as contact (getting to know people) and the perception of challenge were more prominent, whereas in young adults, health, figure/appearance, and distraction/catharsis were dominant.
What Motivates Young Athletes to Play Sport?, opens in a new tab Christopher Spray, Victoria E. Warburton, Frontiers for Young Minds, (2022). Goals In Sport—What Are You Trying To Achieve? Achievement Goals: What you aim to do (desire) to feel successful. A desire to be better than others. Young athletes show preferences for either mastery or performance goals, but some will adopt both at various times and in different situations. These athletes often stay longer in sport because they have more than one way of viewing their abilities and experiencing success. Nevertheless, most young athletes who remain in sport effectively employ mastery goals that are based on self-improvement. They are more interested in the processes of sport performance (techniques and tactics) and less in the outcomes of competition. Motivational Regulations In Sport—Why Are You Taking Part? Intrinsic motivation - The highest quality of motivation, involving enjoyment and fun. Extrinsic Motivation: Lower quality motivation than intrinsic motivation, not based on the activity itself. Autonomous Reasons: A feeling that you do something by choice. Controlled Reasons: A feeling that you are forced to do something. More feelings of autonomy and fewer feelings of being controlled lead to higher quality motivation. Not all extrinsic reasons are equally bad. Playing to keep fit, for example, is better than playing to win trophies.
Learn, Have Fun and Be Healthy! An Interview Study of Swedish Teenagers’ Views of Participation in Club Sport, opens in a new tab, Britta Thedin Jakobsson Suzanne Lundvall, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 18(13), (June 2021). In Sweden, participation in club sport is a vital part of many children’s lives. Despite this, many stop in their teenage years, raising questions concerning if and in what ways club sport can provide health-promoting activities via longer, sustained participation. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to explore and discuss young people’s views of club sport from a health-promoting perspective. The analysis draws on three sets of qualitative data: results from focus groups interviews conducted in 2007 (n = 14) and in 2016 (n = 8) as well as 18 in-depth interviews conducted 2008. Antonovsy’s salutogenic theory and his sense of coherence (SOC) model inspired the analysis. Teenagers want to be a part of club sport because of a sense of enjoyment, learning, belonging and feeling healthy. Teenagers stop when sport becomes too serious, non-flexible, time-consuming and too competitive. The urge for flexibility and possibilities to make individual decisions were emphasised in 2016. The organisation of club sport, it seems, has not adapted to changes in society and a generation of teenagers’ health interests. Club sport has the potential to be a health-promoting arena, but the focus should be on changing the club sport environment, instead of a focus on changing young people.
Barriers to adolescent female participation in cricket, opens in a new tab, J. Fowlie, R. M. Eime, K. Griffiths, Annals of Leisure Research, Volume 24(4), pp.513-531, (2021). With the ever-growing number of opportunities for females to participate in a range of sports without the previous associated gender norms, females are starting to become more involved in traditionally male-dominated sports, however, we know little about their barriers to participation. In this qualitative study, we investigated the barriers to adolescent female participation in cricket in a regional city in Victoria, Australia. The socio-ecological model was utilized to help guide semi-structured focus-group interviews with 20 adolescent females aged 10–12 years old. The participants identified the following as key barriers to their participation in cricket: lack of confidence in skills, having to play cricket with males, an absence of pathway opportunities, and no female only cricket competitions. These findings highlight the importance of adequate coaching specifically for females, female only teams and competitions, and the importance of developing a player pathway for adolescent girls.
Play more, enjoy more, keep playing; rugby is a simple game, opens in a new tab. Ben Jones, Ed Hope, Andrew Hammond, et al., International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, Volume 16(3), pp.636-645, (2021). Drop out and attrition rates in youth sport are well-documented in the literature. Research has found that children overwhelmingly state that enjoyment, fun, and positive experiences are the primary reasons to participate in sport. Competitive Engineering (CE) is a structurally-based competitive climate process designed to create a more positive experience in youth sport. CE encompasses changes to league structures, equipment, pitch-size, and game rules. For example, rule changes that stipulate greater involvement (e.g., playing time) or action (e.g., increasing scoring opportunities) are designed to improve engagement. Despite this, few studies have examined whether CE-based rule changes influence factors known to influence drop out from sport. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a rule change in youth rugby whereby any player selected as part of a match day squad must play at least half a game or equivalent (i.e., the ‘Half-Game Rule’). To achieve this, we studied the influence of the rule change on player reported outcomes throughout the 2017/2018 playing season. Players who “always or almost always” experienced playing at least half a game more often than other players; reported higher enjoyment, than those who played less regularly (F = 35.6, P < .001). Importantly, players who reported higher levels of enjoyment also reported greater intentions to continue playing rugby (F = 6.4, P < .002). Findings support the use of CE to facilitate player enjoyment in team sports and could lead to reduced attrition in youth sport more generally.
Implementation of a modified sport programme to increase participation: Key stakeholder perspectives, opens in a new tab, Tim Buszard, Luca Oppici, Hans Westerbeek, et al., Journal of Sport Sciences, Volume 38(8), pp.945-952, (2020). Modified sports, whereby equipment and rules are manipulated to facilitate skill performance, have been shown to promote skill learning and potentially increase participation. However, it is currently unexplored how key stakeholders – coaches and key figures working in National associations – who are critical stakeholders in implementing and delivering sport programmes, perceive modified sport. This study explored how tennis coaches and key figures working within tennis National associations perceived the impact of implementing a modified tennis campaign on participation and skill development in children and adults. Key figures and coaches around the world completed an online questionnaire. Both groups considered that modified tennis was positively associated with increasing and sustaining participation, skill learning, talent development and people’s attitude towards tennis. Furthermore, participants thought that a rule change (i.e., use of a low-compression ball in children competitions) and the campaign’s core messages (i.e., “serve, rally, score” and “easy, fun, and healthy”) have been critical for the success of the campaign. These results support previous research on the positive impact of modified tennis on skill development and provide a further impetus on implementing modified sports to increase participation. Other sports can adopt similar strategies to improve their modified programmes.
Longitudinal Trends in Sport Participation and Retention of Women and Girls, opens in a new tab, Rochelle Eime,, Jack Harvey, Melanie Charity, et al., Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, Volume 2, (April 2020). This study identified patterns of club sport participation, retention and drop-out of women and girls over a 7 year period in a popular team sport in Australia. The study included registered women and girls of all ages (4–96 years at baseline) in an almost exclusively female sport, with a particular focus on the ages 4–14 years where most participation occurs. All commencing participants in the base year (2010) were tracked over the 7 year period. Participants were classified in two ways: the total number of years they played and their overall pattern of participation. Differences between age groups were analyzed using Kruskall Wallis and Mann Whitney tests. Registration records of 29,225 participants were analyzed in the study. Overall, there were considerable differences in the years participating in the sport. Almost one third (30%) of commencing 4–9 year olds played continuously for the 7 years. This proportion diminished through ages at commencement from 10 to 19, reaching a low point of 4% for ages 15–19, then rebounded slightly, reaching 7% for ages 30+. The proportion who dropped out during the 7 year period and did not return varied with age in the converse manner, as did the proportion of single-year players. The optimal age of entry to sport for retention in participation was 6–9 years. Consideration needs to be given to the age appropriateness of sports programs for very young participants. Strategies specifically relating to retention of girls and young women during adolescence should be developed.
Reducing financial barriers through the implementation of voucher incentives to promote children’s participation in community sport in Australia, opens in a new tab, L. J. Reece, C. McInerney, K. Blazek, et al., BMC Public Health, Volume 20, article 19, (January 2020). Participation in organised sport and physical activity contributes to health-enhancing levels of leisure time physical activity. In Australia, 58% of children aged 0–14 years participated at least once a week in October 2015 – December 2017. To overcome the frequently cited cost barrier, sports voucher incentives have been widely implemented across Australia. Five States and Territories implemented sports vouchers from 2011 to 2018, with a median value of AU$150. Nationally, median annual expenditure for children’s sport participation was AU$447 (IQR $194.2–936), with 27% reported expenditure supported by a sports voucher. The proportion of financial support from sports vouchers increased considerably with social disadvantage, rising to over 60% of total expenditure in the most disadvantaged populations.
“It's like you are in the jungle”: Using the draw-and-tell method to explore preschool children's play preferences and factors that shape their active play, opens in a new tab, Nicola Wiseman, Christin Rossmann, Jessica Lee, et al., Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 30(51), pp.85-94, (December 2019). The authors employed visual methodologies to explore the activity preferences of 29 preschool children. Children were asked to draw their preferred activities and answer a series of open and closed questions about their drawing and what they think are the barriers and facilitators to participating in this activity. Participants expressed a desire to play unstructured activities with friends or family, to engage in imaginative, challenging play, as well as the opportunity to have control over the activity they engage in. Children reported that rules at home and at preschool, the availability of toys, friends and family and having access to a natural environment served as both barriers and facilitators to participating in their favourite activity. Listening to children's voices about their play preferences and the barriers and facilitators to engaging in these activities provides important insight into children's play behaviour and the promotion of active play in early childhood. Participants’ desire for more natural features within their play environment and for challenging, unstructured and imaginative play may be considered as facilitators of their engagement in physical activity. The current findings suggest the incorporation of unstructured playtime within natural environments could support young children's participation in and increased enjoyment of physical activity.
Sport drop-out during adolescence: is it real, or an artefact of sampling behaviour?, opens in a new tab Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, John, Charity, Melanie, International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 11(4). pp.715-726, (2019). This study demonstrates a feasible methodology for approximate cross-linking of de-identified data and thereby quantifying the extent of sampling behaviour, and hence investigating to what degree the decline in community club-based sport participation observed during adolescence is attributable to a ‘sampling to specialisation’ effect as opposed to drop-out from sport altogether. Participants were registered members of one of 11 state sporting associations in 2015. For this analysis, data (907,150 player records) were amalgamated, and players categorised by sex, age group and residential postcode. Results showed that the effect of individuals playing multiple sports is highest for ages 5–14, and then it diminishes as specialisation increases. Nevertheless, this study confirms that, after adjustment for this change in behaviour, the drop-off in community sport participation during adolescence persists, i.e. it is real and not simply an artefact of sampling/specialisation behaviour. It is recommended that sport policy focuses on overall participation across sports, taking into account the sampling and specialising phenomena which naturally occur, rather than merely asking individual sports to increase participation.
Barriers to voluntary participation in sport for children: a systematic review, opens in a new tab, Sarah Somerset, Derek J. Hoare, BMC Pediatrics, Volume 18, article 47, (2018). A total of 3434 records were identified of which 22 were suitable for inclusion in the review, two additional studies were identified from Google Scholar in November 2016. Both qualitative and quantitative studies were included. Study’s included in the review assessed children up to 18 years of age. Study quality was assessed using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tools. Studies took place in the school environment (n = 14), sports club (n = 1), community setting (n = 8) and adolescent care setting (n = 1). Frequently reported barriers across quantitative studies were ‘time’ (n = 4), ‘cost’ (n = 3), ‘opportunity/accessibility’ (n = 3) and ‘friends’ (n = 2). Frequently reported barriers across qualitative studies were ‘time’ (n = 6), 'cost' (n = 5), 'not being good at sport' (n = 6) and ‘fear of being judged/embarrassed’ (n = 6).
Enjoyment and Behavioral Intention Predict Organized Youth Sport Participation and Dropout, opens in a new tab, Lauren A. Gardner, Christopher A. Magee, Stewart A. Vella, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Volume 14(11), pp.861–865, (2017). Dropout from organized youth sport has significant adverse health implications. Enjoyment and behavioral intentions have consistently been linked with participation and dropout; however, few studies have investigated these links using a prospective design. This study explored whether enjoyment and intentions to continue predicted dropout behavior at 1-year follow-up. Questionnaires were completed by 327 regular sport participants (mean age = 13.01 y at baseline, 77 males and 250 females). After 1 year, 247 individuals (75.5%) continued participating in their main sport and 26 individuals (8%) dropped out. A hierarchical logistic regression model estimated the probability of dropout. In step 1, the following covariates were included: age, sex, competition level, perceived competence, parental support, coach–athlete relationship, friendship quality, and peer acceptance. In step 2, enjoyment and intentions to continue were included. Step 1 indicated that age, parental support, coach–athlete relationship quality, and peer acceptance were significantly associated with dropout. Step 2 explained further variance in dropout, with both enjoyment and intentions inversely associated with dropout. Peer acceptance was the only covariate to remain significantly associated with dropout in step 2. Conclusions: Findings support the use of enjoyment and behavioral intentions as indicators of sport participation/dropout behavior and may aid the development of interventions aimed at preventing future dropout.
Sport-specific factors predicting player retention in junior cricket, opens in a new tab, Scott Talpey, Tom Croucher, Ahmed Bani Mustafa, et al., European Journal of Sport Science, Volume 17(3), pp.264-270, (April 2017). Understanding factors that motivate young athletes to continue participation in sport can help key stakeholders cultivate an environment that fosters long-term participation. This investigation sought to determine the performance and participation factors that influenced continued participation in junior cricket. Administration-level data were collected each annual season across a seven-year period by a community-level junior cricket association in Australia and analysed to identify the performance and participation-based predictors of player retention. All players were males aged <16 years. Players were categorised according to whether they remained in (or departed from) the association at the end of each playing season. A multivariate logistic regression model with a stepwise variable selection was employed to identify significant independent predictors of player retention. The number of innings batted and overs bowled were significant participation-related contributors to junior cricket player retention. Performance factors such as the number of wickets taken and the number of runs scored also significantly influenced player retention. Finally, team age group, the number of previous seasons played and age were also significant factors in player retention. This demonstrates that sufficient opportunity for children to participate in the game and expression of skills competence are key factors for retention in cricket.
Can't play, won't play: longitudinal changes in perceived barriers to participation in sports clubs across the child–adolescent transition, opens in a new tab, Laura Basterfield, Lauren Gardner, Jessica K Reilly, et al., BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, Volume 2(1), (March 2016). Participation in sports is associated with numerous physical and psychosocial health benefits, however, participation declines with age, and knowledge of perceived barriers to participation in children is lacking. This longitudinal study of children and adolescents aimed to use the ecological model of physical activity to assess changes in barriers to participation in sports clubs to identify age-specific and weight-specific targets for intervention. Perceived barriers to sports participation were collected from a birth cohort, the Gateshead Millennium Study (n>500) at ages 9 and 12 years. The open-ended question ‘Do you find it hard to take part in sports clubs for any reason?’ was completed with free text and analysed using content analysis, and the social–ecological model of physical activity. Barriers from across the social-ecological model were reported. Barriers at 9 years were predominantly of a physical environmental nature, and required high parental involvement (for transport, money, permission), or were associated with a lack of suitable clubs. At 12 years, perceived barriers were predominantly classed as intrapersonal (‘they're boring’) or social environmental (‘my friends don't go’). Perceived barriers were not associated with weight status. Perceived barriers to sports participation change rapidly in childhood and adolescence. Future interventions aiming to increase sports participation in children and adolescents should target specific age groups, should consider the rapid changes which occur in adolescence, and aim to address prominent barriers from across the socioecological model. Perceived barriers may be unrelated to current weight status, allowing for more inclusive solutions.
Why Are Girls Less Physically Active than Boys? Findings from the LOOK Longitudinal Study, opens in a new tab, Rohan M. Telford, Richard D. Telford, Lisa S. Olive, et al., PLOS One, (March 2016). Data were collected at age 8 and 12 years (276 boys, 279 girls) from 29 schools as part of the LOOK study. Multilevel linear models were fitted separately for boys and girls to examine effects of individual, family and environmental level correlates on pedometer measured PA. Cardio-respiratory fitness (multi-stage run), percent fat (DEXA), eye-hand coordination (throw and catch test) and perceived competence in physical education (questionnaire) were used as individual level correlates. At the family level, parent’s support and education (questionnaire) were used. School attended and extracurricular sport participation were included as environmental level correlates. Girls were 19% less active than boys (9420 vs 11360 steps/day). Lower PA among girls was associated with weaker influences at the school and family levels and through lower participation in extracurricular sport. School attended explained some of the variation in boys PA (8.4%) but not girls. Girls compared to boys had less favourable individual attributes associated with PA at age 8 years, including 18% lower cardio-respiratory fitness (3.5 vs 4.2), 44% lower eye-hand coordination (11.0 vs 17.3), higher percent body fat (28% vs 23%) and 9% lower perceived competence in physical education (7.7 vs 8.4). Participation in extracurricular sport at either age 8 or 12 years was protective against declines in PA over time among boys but not girls.
The Fun Integration Theory: Towards Sustaining Children and Adolescents Sport Participation, opens in a new tab, Amanda Visek, Sara Achrati, Heather Manning, et al., Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Volume 12(3), pp.424-433, (2015). Working with youth soccer players (n = 142), coaches (n = 37), and parents (n = 57) identified 11 fun-dimensions (Being a Good Sport, Trying Hard, Positive Coaching, Learning and Improving, Game Time Support, Games, Practices, Team Friendships, Mental Bonuses, Team Rituals, Swag) and 81 specific fun-determinants. The top 10 determinants of fun were Trying your best, When a coach treats players with respect, playing well together as a team, getting playing time, getting along with your teammates, Exercising and being active, working hard, when a coach encourages the team, having a coach who is a positive role model, playing well during a game, Keeping a positive attitude. ‘Competition’ was number 21; ‘winning’ was number 48.
A systematic review of dropout from organized sport among children and youth, opens in a new tab, Jess Crane, and Viviene Temple, European Physical Education Review, Volume 21(1), (2014). Although many discrete factors associated with dropout were identified, five major areas emerged: lack of enjoyment, perceptions of competence, social pressures, competing priorities, and physical factors (maturation and injuries).
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