Redes en hindernisse vir sportdeelname by hoërskoolleerlinge in die Potchefstroom-distrik

Abstract

One of the areas in youth sport that has recently come under close scrutiny concerns the alarming rate at which youth are leaving sport. An understanding of variables that affect children's participation in sport is important to professionals who are responsible for planning after school and weekend sport activities and who hope to attract children to healthy, active life styles that lead to wellness and fitness throughout their lifetimes. Literature on the reasons or motives for sport participation that was noted in this dissertation showed that researchers have made use of different theoretical frameworks to study these reasons. The best known of these in the sporting environment is the competition theory, the achievement-based theory, as well as the achievement-motivational theory/self-determining theory (intrinsic and extrinsic theory). Literature further revealed that age, gender and race can also affect the reasons for sport participation. The barriers that can limit or preclude youth sport participation have been explained in this dissertation according to the model of Crawford et al. (1991) and specific obstacles or restrictions which could influence youth sport participation, have been identified. Thus the primary purpose of this study was to examine the reasons or participation motives why youth participate in sport as well as the barriers that preclude or prohibit them from sport participation. Four hundred and seventy eight high school pupils (211 boys and 267 girls) from 4 high schools in the Potchefstroom district participated in the study. The Participation Motivation Questionnaire (PMQ) (Gill et al., 1983) was applied to determine the reasons for sport participation. With regard to the first aim of the study, the results indicated that the 5 main reasons why high school pupils participate in sport are: "to do something they are good at, to develop their body, teamwork, to learn new skills and to meet new people. A factor analysis was performed and six factors were labelled: adventure/fun, achievement, team spirit, skill development, competition and energy release. These factors were used to determine whether there was a relationship between the reasons for sport participation and gender, race and age. In general the similarities between girls' and boys' responses in the current study were more striking than the differences that suggests that boys and girls participate in sport for the same reasons. Gender did not have an effect on the other factors. Race had a medium effect on the reasons for sport participation whereas age showed no effect. Findings of the study can provide to those who are involved in the world of sport, an awareness and literacy of the reasons why high school pupils participate in sport. With reference to the second aim of the study, the results provided evidence that there are constraints that can preclude or limit the sport participation of high school pupils. Individual constraints were ranked and the 5 most important constraints for sport participation were "limited time, family responsibilities, lack of talent or skills, lack of information and lack of available exercise-programmes". The least restrictive constraint was racial relationships: Factor-analysis of the ,ratings yielded five factors that were labelled family/culture, finances, skills, facilities and other (no one to go with and lack of time). Effect size was also performed to establish the relationship between the barriers to sport participation and age, race and gender. Gender and age showed no relation to the constraints. Race, however, had an effect on the perception of constraints to sport participation. Sport administrators, coaches and teachers need to be made aware of the importance of lack of time as a barrier to sport participation as well as of the effect of structural barriers, especially on the previously disadvantaged groups.