Influence on participation

• Sports with most adult participants in England in 2015/2016 (sport england)

  • Swimming
  • Athletics (including running)
  • Cycling
  • Football
• Reason for high participation in some sports may be that more people have the opportunity to participate in them
• The media

  Inspire people to take part in sports and provide role models
• How the media influences participation in sport

  1. When big sporting events are in the media, people are often encouraged to have a go themselves

  2. Participation in sport peaked at the time of the London 2012 Olympics

  3. Tennis centres see a big rise in the number of people booking courts when Wimbledon is on TV

  4. People who excel in their sport can become role models for their sport and encourage more people to participate
• Gender divide in participation


  • Fewer women participate regularly in sport than men
  • Many women's events have a lower profile than men's as they get less media coverage, meaning fewer female role models
  • Less media coverage means less sponsorship available for women's sport, fewer opportunities and less money for women to do sport at a high level
  • Gender stereotypes about some activities being "women's" and others "men's" can affect what sports people decide to take up
• How ethnicity and religion can affect participation

  • Religious and cultural beliefs can influence the physical activity people do, e.g. Muslim women keeping their bodies covered up
  • Religious festivals and days may impact when you can play sport, e.g. some Christians won't play on Sundays
  • Racism and racial abuse can be a problem in sport, but campaigns have helped raise awareness and punishments are now more severe
  • Governing bodies have tried to create more positive role models to inspire and engage younger generations
• Disability


  • Can limit the physical activities you can do
  • Participation rates for disabled people used to be lower than for non-disabled people
  • Many schemes now focus on adapting sports, creating new sports, and including disabled people alongside non-disabled people
• Disabled sporting events now get extensive media coverage, like the Olympics
• Media coverage is helping to change people's attitudes towards disability and sport, and create more disabled role models
• Disposable income


  The money you have left to spend after paying for essentials, eg. bills and food
• People with less disposable income are less likely to regularly take part in sport
• Most sports cost money, and lots of sports require specialist equipment and clothing which can be very expensive
• Work and family commitments


  • Playing sport requires a lot of free time
  • If you work irregular hours it can be hard to join clubs that meet in the evenings or at weekends
• Family


  • Parents might encourage or discourage their children to take up sports
  • If your parents or siblings play sport, or are interested in it, you're familiar with sport from a young age and may have more opportunities to take part
• Age

  • Can limit the activities people can do
  • Younger people usually have more choice for physical activity
  • As people get older, they are often physically limited in the sports they can choose
  • Tend to do less strenuous activities like walking or swimming
  • Lack of suitable activities available
  • Some sports can potentially damage young person's body
  • Young people often have more free time to do sport
  • As people get older and have care and family, there's less time available for playing sport
• PE in schools

  • Can have a big effect on participation
  • PE class and after-school activities allow students to try out lots of different sports
  • Encourages regular participation
  • Important that schools offer a wide range of activities
  • Some students are put off by PE at school because they find it awkward or embarrassing
  • Allowing students to choose activities and listening to suggestions can make students more willing to take part
  • Offering non-competitive activities in PE is a good idea
  • Having a good PE teacher or sports coach can inspire people
  • A bad experience in PE could put you off sports and exercise
  • The facilities a school has available can limit what activities it can offer
  • Dirty old changing rooms and equipment can mean some students aren't inspired to join in with PE
• Physical literacy


  • Learning basic skills like running, jumping, throwing, catching and swimming
  • Allows you to go on and take part in physical activity throughout your life
• Environment


  • Opportunities to compete in many winter sports will be limited if you live nowhere near mountains and snow
  • In very hot and very cold climates, it might not be possible to be outside for long periods of time
  • Pollution levels can force people to remain indoors, making it harder to participate in a lot of sports
  • The layout of a city can dramatically affect participation in running, cycling and other outdoor activities
  • Without pavements, cycle lanes and green spaces like parks, there is nowhere to do these things
  • Really mountainous regions may struggle to have flat areas for creating pitches, so participation in many team sports can be difficult
• Media of sporting events


  • The Paralympics
  • The Women's World Cup in football
• Promotion locally


  • Events and facilities can be promoted to local residents through advertising so they know what's available in their area
• Provision


  • Providing facts and well-trained staff
  • Offering a range of activities for disabled and elderly folk
  • Activities offered at a range of times
  • Leisure centres usually provide a wide range of classes and activities, and have trained staff and coaches
  • PE classes and clubs after school help provide students with opportunities to participate in sport and exercise
• Access


  • Facilities can be a problem, especially in rural areas
  • Difficulty for families without a car to get involved
  • Government can help by providing good public transport links
  • Clubs and facilities being reasonably priced so people can afford to use them