Parent segment profile - Sport Focused

Focus is retention

Parents are relatively active, many play club sport themselves. Strongly pro-club sport.

• Strongly believe children should be physically active.
• Significantly less likely to have a child stop or never participate.
• Unlikely to say no if child asks to do a particular sport.
• More likely than others to prompt the child to do the sport.
• More likely to volunteer at club where child is member (57%) and where they are member (21%).
• Feel clubs offer a great deal of personal and social benefits to child:
  • Sense of achievement and confidence
  • Time out for themselves Social element / camaraderie
  • Enjoy watching sport and being part of a sports team.

Who / how is a decision made?

The motivators for child’s involvement are driven by both parent and child.

The initial decision for their child to join a sport club was often initiated due to the parent’s past experience. Many had played the sport before and were familiar with it (40%). However, while ‘Sport Focused’ parents clearly play a role in decision making, often the child prompted the initial decision to join.

The reasons for their child to join a sport club were most often because their child / children wanted to participate (58%) and actively asked to participate (55%). So, while ‘Sport Focused’ parents clearly play a role in decision making, the child’s wishes were paramount.

This said, this segment is more likely than other parents to prompt their child to do the sport because they thought the child would enjoy it (42%), and because they wanted the child to do that specific sport (38%).

Compared to joining club sport, the initial decision for their child to participate in other organised sport / other physical activity was generally driven primarily by the child rather than the parent’s past involvement.

Barriers

• Friends / teammates stopped going / taking part
• Child wanted to do a different type of sport / physical activity.

Maintain or build participation

To maintain or build participation amongst their children, sport clubs should consider:

1. Access to good coaching and training (65%)
2. Free trials of facilities / sport (59%)
3. Consistent game time / location (48%)
4. Trial through school (39%)
5. Beginner classes for older children (35%)
6. Family memberships (34%)
7. Equal treatment whether good or not (33%)

How do we communicate to them