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The sporting life: Athletic activities during early adolescence
C E Kirshnit1, M Ham, M H Richards
1Counseling Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, 112 Administrative Services Bldg., 721 S. Ward St., Mail Code 609, 60612, Chicago, IL.
Adolescent sports participation declines with age, mainly due to less informal sports. Organized sports attrition stems from lower enjoyment, while informal sports decline is performance-related.
Area of Science:
- Sports Psychology
- Adolescent Development
- Sociology of Sport
Background:
- Adolescent sports participation decline is well-documented.
- Reasons for attrition remain controversial.
- Subjective experiences in sports vary by context.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate adolescent attrition from sports.
- To analyze the role of grade, gender, and sport context.
- To understand the subjective experience of sports participation.
Main Methods:
- Employed the Experience Sampling Method (ESM).
- 401 5th-9th graders participated.
- Used pagers and self-report forms over one week.
Main Results:
- Older adolescents participated less in sports, primarily due to declining informal sports.
- Informal sports were experienced more positively but had lower skill perceptions.
- Attrition from organized sports linked to lower enjoyment; informal sports attrition linked to performance.
- Boys participated more in informal sports than girls, but affect and skill levels were similar.
Conclusions:
- Reasons for sports attrition are context-specific.
- Informal sports decline is performance-driven, while organized sports attrition is enjoyment-driven.
- Interventions should consider context and individual experiences to maintain adolescent sports engagement.
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