The Sport Experience Measure for Children and Youth (SEM:CY): A Rasch Validation Study

Area of Science:

• Sport Psychology
• Youth Development
• Measurement in Sport

Background:

• Understanding the quality of sport experience is crucial for youth development.
• Existing measures may not adequately capture the nuances of young athletes' experiences.
• A validated tool is needed to assess sport participation quality in children and youth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Sport Experience Measure: Children and Youth (SEM:CY).
• To establish the psychometric properties of the SEM:CY using Rasch analyses.
• To provide a reliable tool for measuring the quality of sport experience in young people.

Main Methods:

• Rasch analyses were employed to validate the SEM:CY.
• Self-reported data from 503 young people (ages 9-18) in Canada were analyzed.
• The 24-item SEM:CY with a 3-point response scale was evaluated for fit statistics and differential item functioning.

Main Results:

• The SEM:CY demonstrated good fit statistics, indicating a robust measure.
• The measure reliably discriminated between different levels of sport experience.
• No differential item functioning was found across various demographic and sport-related groups.

Conclusions:

• The SEM:CY is a psychometrically sound and validated instrument.
• This measure can effectively gauge the quality of an individual's sport experience.
• The SEM:CY can support positive youth development and long-term sport participation.