ADELAIDE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’

PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS IN RELATION TO THE YOUTH

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES PROMOTION MODEL

Content

Introductory Background The Youth Physical Activities Promotion Model Method : Participants and Research Design Results/Analysis Conclusion Recommendations References

Introduction The study investigated the students’ involvement in sports as part of

co-curricular activities inside and outside the school.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) studies on participation of Australian youth in sports and cultural activities (drama/dance), show high non-participation among some sub-groups.

South Australian Office for Recreation and Sport (2007) reported 61% urban boys and 70% of urban girls played school based sports.

School sports policy differ- some compulsory, others not.

The Youth Physical Activities Promotion Model

The model was originally developed by Welk (1999) who sought to take account of the main contributing factors to sports participation or non-participation.

This model is based on personal demographics as they relate to three psycho-social correlates.

The first relates is perceived outcomes (‘is it worth it?’) and student-perceived competency (‘am I able?’) both of which are seen to contribute to the “predisposing” factor.

The second concerns family and school support, referred to as the “reinforcing” factor, while the third which relates to and perceived barriers, is called the “enabling” factor.

Method of Study

Participants:

111 Year 11 students drawn from six Adelaide, co-educational schools ; 70% aged 16; 40% female.

Research Design:

Students asked to write personal statements about their experiences playing sports, based on open-ended guideline questions; responses analysis thematically.

Measure

The respondents’ comments on their reasons for playing, or not playing sport were analysed thematically according to the psycho-social correlates of (YPAP) model.

Results

Overall 89 (80%) of the 111 respondents indicated that they played one or more sports; the other 22 (20%) were not involved in any sport.

Among the 23 sports named, soccer was the most popular, played by 32 respondents (29%).

Australian Rules Football was mentioned by 21 student (19%) and cricket by 7 (6%).

The 16 female respondents who said they played netball represented 14% of the total participants, and 36% of the female participants.

SchoolsSport

BN=17

CN=16

HN=25

PN=18

SN=13

ZN=22

Total N=111

% of111

Soccer 8 5 2 10 2 5 32 29%Australian Rules Football

3 3 6 2 2 5 21 19%

Tennis 5 3 4 5 0 1 18 16%Netball 2 1 6 5 0 2 16 14%Basketball 3 3 1 5 0 3 15 13%Volleyball 2 6 2 3 1 1 15 13%Swimming 3 1 2 2 0 2 10 9%Athletics 2 2 5 1 0 0 10 9%

Cricket 1 0 2 3 0 1 7 6%14 Other Sports

5 7 10 8 0 5 35 31%

Mentions of Sports Played

33 31 40 44 5 25 179 159

ParticipantsNon Participants

170

160

196

180

49

157

8922

80%20%

Participants: Reinforcing Factor

The analysis of the 89 respondents who participated in sport revealed that:

74 respondents expressed positive family support from their parents for their sports participation (reinforcing factor), although in a few cases parental lack of support or concern about cost and safety acted as non-reinforcing factors.

Participants: Predisposing Factor

From the predisposing factor perspective, 68 respondents discussed their sports participation in terms of enjoyment, while another 51 respondents indicated fitness and health attracted them to sports participation.

Enjoyment

Fun/Enjoy It’s fun …enjoying myself.

Love/Like …I love training and I love get up early to play

sport. You get be around people you like…

Fitness and Health

Physical Fitness The fitness components… to stay fit Health Aspect Good activity, helps keep me fit and healthy Being Active …keeping active. Good Feeling Feels good man Relaxation Relax

Participants: Enabling Factor

Only six students commented on this factor.

They commented on the role of the school, its policy and organization in facilitating their sports participation.

Non-Participants

For those 22 respondents who did not participate in any sports activities, four indicated that their reasons related to what could be called non-enabling factors of poor fitness and health or financial difficulties.

Five mentioned lack of family support (non-reinforcing factor).

Seven talked of non-predisposing factors, such as no time, travelling difficulties and bad weather and perceived incompetence.

Conclusion

YPAP Model most helpful in pinpointing the negative influences explaining students’ non- participation

E.g. non-enabling non-reinforcing non-predisposing

Conclusion Continue

Most important of these factor among the 22 non-participants was the non-predisposing.

These appear to reflect in students’ own personal judgements and discussions.

Recommendation

National Junior Sport Policy: A framework for developing junior sport in Australia (1994).

Independent Sport Panel. (2009). The future of sport in Australia.

School Sport Policy, especially State Schools. State schools sport is not compulsory, need support

from school leadership (teachers), family and community.

References Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Children’s participation in cultural

and leisure activities, April 2006. Retrieved 04/04/2008 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/ProductDocumentCollection?OpenAgent&productno=4901.0&issue=Apr%202006

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2007). Children's participation in organised sport: 2000, 2003, 2006. Canberra, Australia.

National Junior Sport Working Party. (1994). National Junior Sport Policy: A framework for developing junior sport in Australia. Canberra: Australian Sports Commission.

Independent Sport Panel. (2009). The future of sport in Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Office for Recreation and Sport. (2007). A profile of youth sport in South Australia: Behaviours and attitudes of primary and secondary students in South Australia. Adelaide: Government of South Australia

Welk, G. J. (1999). The Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model: A conceptual bridge between theory and practice. Quest, 51, 5-23.