Part 2: Understanding Participation Mot. in Youth Sports

• Motives for Participating in Youth Sport

  1. Youth Athletes have widely varied motives
  2. 6 consistent motives rated as important by NZ high school children  (netball & rugby; 1500 kids)
  3. Young athletes have multiple motives for participating
• Motives for Participating in Youth Sport

  • Youth Athletes have widely varied motives (see Weinberg & Gould, 2019; p.  544-546)
• Motives for Participating in Youth Sport

  • 6 consistent motives rated as important by NZ high school children  (netball & rugby; 1500 kids): (Hodge & Zaharopoulos, 1992, 1993)
  • (i) Improving skills/learn new skills
  • (ii) Having FUN
  • (iii) Being with friends/make new friends    (affiliation)
  • (iv) Thrills and excitement
  • (v) Achieving success and winning
  • (vi) Developing fitness
• Motives for Participating in Youth Sport

  • 6 consistent motives rated as important by NZ high school children  (netball & rugby; 1500 kids)
  • Most had more than 1 
  • (i) Improving skills/learn new skills
  • To be more competent 
  • Helps make you feel good w/ yourself
  • (ii) Having FUN
  • For enjoyment, is positive to them 
  • Whatever fun is to them 
  • (iii) Being with friends/make new friends    (affiliation)
  • (iv) Thrills and excitement
  • (v) Achieving success and winning
  • (vi) Developing fitness
• Motives for Participating in Youth Sport

  • 6 consistent motives rated as important by NZ high school children  (netball & rugby; 1500 kids)
  • (v) Achieving success and winning
  • Winning not in top 3
  • Doesn’t mean not important but not primary goal/motive
  • Winning isn’t everything, may increase later in youth 
  • These top 6 higher than other 30+ options
  • Think what do they want out of it - individual motives
• Motives for Participating in Youth Sport 

  • Young athletes have multiple motives for participating
  • ===>>> a personal combination of motives 
  • (i.e. Goal Orientations) 
  • type of goals?
  • Not just there for 1 sole reason 
  • Children have multiple motives for participating; and they will stay involved if these motives are fulfilled
  • Continue to play in sport if their motives are achieved
• Reasons/Motives for Discontinuing Participation in Sport 

  1. Young athletes have a variety of REASONS for dropping out
  2. The MAJOR reason for dropping out of sport is…?
  3. The major NEGATIVE reasons for dropping-out
• Reasons/Motives for Discontinuing Participation in Sport 

  • Drop-Out Rate - 25 to 30%  
  • Hard to study as they don’t want to participate in research 
  • Is a big number still, even though hard to study 
• Reasons/Motives for Discontinuing Participation in Sport  

  • Young athletes have a variety of REASONS for dropping out:
  • Conflict with other activities
  • 1 Key reason = most important for youth dropping out
  • Dislike coach
  • Lack of playing time
  • Competitive stress
  • Lack of success
  • Boredom
  • Little skill improvement
  • Injury
  • Lack of fun
  • Lack of parental support
  • Can’t get transport to training or games 
  • Are in a random order
• Reasons/Motives for Discontinuing Participation in Sport 

  • The MAJOR reason for dropping out of sport is…?
  • Conflicts of interest w/ other activities 
  • (i.e. other sports, exercise, music, art, hobbies etc. . . )
  • May use this to cover other reasons (to be polite)
  • Other negative reasons
  • For others may be key reason 
• Reasons/Motives for Discontinuing Participation in Sport 

  • The MAJOR reason for dropping out of sport is…?
  • Conflicts of interest w/ other activities 
  • Lot switched to other sports - why do people shift (eg netball → basketball)
  • Important for specific sport domain (eg netball)
  • But doesn’t matter for involvement in PA - still being PA
  • So, want to identify negative reasons 
• Reasons/Motives for Discontinuing Participation in Sport 

  • The major NEGATIVE reasons for dropping-out:
  • Lack of playing time
  • Little success
  • Little skill improvement
  • Boredom
  • Excessive competitive stress
  • . . . . SO . . . . . ?
  • Changed w/ good coaching
• • The major NEGATIVE reasons for dropping-out:
  • Lack of playing time
  • Don’t pick favourites, give game time
  • Little success
  • Scoreboard doesn’t need to be only measure of success
  • Smart coaches find other ways for youth to find other ways of success
  • Little skill improvement
  • Know some stuff about sport to teach skills in that sport (some parents don’t know)
  • Boredom
• Reasons/Motives for Discontinuing Participation in Sport

  • The major NEGATIVE reasons for dropping-out:
  • Excessive competitive stress
  • A lot have stop picking rep teams Under13 years old
  • Not good for those kids that don’t succeed
  • Decrease confidence
  • & Doesn’t mean those that do will continue to 
  • Socially evaluated - are kids ready to compete where are being judged by a knowledgeable evidence
  • If successful feel good - increase self-confidence 
  • But if don’t create negative emotions (guilt & shame)