Children
Children 5-14 years life stage
The children life stage consists of two cohorts:
Children 5-11 years
Many children’s first interactions with sport occurs during this life stage. These experiences are crucial to creating a lifelong interest and connection with sport and physical activity.
Every child should have the opportunity to enjoy participating in sport and physical activity throughout these formative years.
Insights to help attract and retain participants
Active 5-11 year olds
31% of children aged 5-11 participate in organised sport or physical activity outside of school 3 times or more per week
When children reach school age, they are exposed to many participation opportunities. Some children are more likely to embrace these opportunities and develop strong physical literacy skills. Physical literacy is the knowledge, skills and behaviours that give us the confidence and motivation to lead active lives.
Characteristics
- More likely to have higher physical literacy levels
- See club sport as a big part of their life
- Tend to love everything about the sport and physical activity experience including the physical, social, competitive and mental aspects
- Often participate to socialise with peers, improve skills or to try a new sport
- Fun and enjoyment is the key driver for ongoing participation and activity
- Parents are often involved in the club and it is a joint decision to participate
- Parents are active themselves participating in sport or physical activity.
The challenge for sporting organisations is to keep these children in sport and ensure participation opportunities focus on fun, enjoyment and skill development.
Insights to help attract and retain active 5-11 year olds
Less active 5-11 year olds
69% of children aged 5-11 participate in organised sport or physical activity outside of school 2 times or less per week
This cohort may already be starting to exhibit negative attitudes to sport and physical activity. This may be due to lower levels of physical literacy and capability, as well as the influences around them including a lack of family participation in sport and physical activity.
At this age, many children are not confident in a sporting environment. Lifelong attitudes to sport and physical activity emerge through experiences in this critical early stage. If the experience is negative, children tend to avoid sport and physical activity. This is reflected in a steep decline in participation from age 13.
Characteristics
- Often believe sport is too competitive and not fun
- Don't like sport or physical activity due to poor introductory experiences
- More likely to have lower levels of physical literacy than the active 5 – 11 year olds
- Have a perception that you have to be good at sport to be part of a club
- Negative attitudes towards sport often stem from parents
- Impacted by protective parenting behaviours i.e. safety concerns preventing children from participating.
Sports have a critical role to play here. Create a supportive environment that includes children of all abilities and confidence levels. Fun and safe environments help prevent negative attitudes and poor lifelong behaviours developing and encourage children to stay involved in sport.
Insights to help attract less active 5-11 year olds
Featured resource
Learn more about the attitudes and motivations to sport and physical activity for this age group through:
Children 12-14 years
Participation in organised sport participation peaks from 9 to 11 years.
At the age of 13 when children start to transition to high school, participation in organised sport and physical activity outside of school decreases dramatically.
Insights to help attract and retain participants
Active 12-14 year olds
33% of children aged 12-14 participate in organised sport outside of school 3 times or more per week
Active youth are in the minority and have continued their involvement in sport and physical activity while many of their peers drop out. They stay involved because they find it fun, enjoy competing and are confident in a sport and physical activity environment. Evidence also suggests this cohort is the most physically literate and competent at sport throughout their childhood.
Characteristics
- Enjoy being a valued member of a team
- Higher levels of physical literacy/capability
- Enjoy spending time with friends and doing a fun activity
- Find challenges and rewards appealing
- Like trying new things
- More likely to have active parents.
This group loves their sport, but they are at an age where other interests are growing and they are at risk of dropping out. Keep things fun and social to improve retention at this critical life stage.
Insights to help attract and retain active 12-14 year olds
Less active 12-14 year olds
67% of children aged 12-14 participate in organised sport outside of school 2 times or less per week.
This is a key transition point for ongoing involvement in organised sport and the age when the most significant drop out occurs.
At this age, children are starting to make their own decisions about how they spend their time. They are heavily influenced by their peers and their own self-image, which can make them less confident in a competitive environment. As this group starts high school, they are often exposed to many new outside factors for attention and time.
Characteristics
- Lower levels of physical literacy/capability
- Fear being judged and are put off by team selection processes
- Lack fitness and skills (they can't keep up or are not competitive)
- Find that sport causes mental stress and pressure
- Put off by the involvement of other parents i.e. favouritism
- Increasing time commitments, including work, study, family, friends and new interests
- Decreasing levels of support from parents who value other commitments over sport i.e. study
- More likely to have parents who aren’t active or participating in sport.
This is a critical age for sport retention. Sport experiences that can pivot to cater for those who are less competitive or capable are more likely to retain these children at this life stage. A focus on fun and social engagement is likely to be more attractive to this age group.
Insights to help attract less active 12-14 year olds
Featured resources
Learn more about the attitudes and motivations to sport and physical activity for this age group through:
The life stages resource uses 2019 data from AusPlay; the Australian sport and physical activity participation survey.