A study by the Athletic Footwear Association (AFA), a trade group of manufacturers of athletic footwear and part of the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, found that for teens who participate in organized sporting activities, having fun is more important than winning.


The study of more than 10,000 junior high and high school students found that winning was far down on the list of reasons why teens enjoy a sport. "To have fun" finished first as the single most important reason for playing a school sport, followed by "to improve skills," "to stay in shape," "to do something I'm good at," "the excitement of competition," "to get exercise" and others. "To win" finished tenth.

These findings were similar for boys and for girls, although the boys placed more emphasis on competitive aspects than did girls, who rated physical fitness aspects more highly.

Reasons for participating in a sport outside of school were similar.

"Having fun is a nebulous concept, but it's a critically important one for anyone dealing with young people and sports," says Gregg Hartley, executive director of the North Palm Beach, Florida-based AFA. "When the students are asked the main reason they dropped a sport, they say it wasn't fun. When asked what would make them go back to a sport they dropped, they say it should be more fun. The impression is that sports should be less serious and more playful. Some students feel competition and winning are what make sports fun. But there's another, larger, group that feels differently. Unless their needs are met, they are likely to leave sports forever."

Analysis of the study's findings identified three groups of teenagers possessing similar reasons for participating in sports: reluctant participants, image-conscious socializers, and competence-oriented participants.

The socializers, 40% of the total, are probably good athletes but they tend to get the most satisfaction from external approval and rewards. When these factors decrease or are no longer meaningful, members of this group are likely to drop out of sports.

The competence-oriented group, roughly 35%, show the most promise of participating in sports throughout their lives. This dedicated group is less concerned with winning and is more interested in learning about and competing with themselves.

The reluctant participants, about 25%, are involved in sports because of peer or parental pressure. Because their involvement isn't typically voluntary, they have a high dropout potential.

Another major finding was that participation in sports decreases markedly between the ages of 13 and 18. As the students grew older, their interest in all voluntary sports (except general physical conditioning) decreased. As teens grow older, their interest turns to other activities, such as dating, being with friends, and watching TV.

Students were asked which of 27 non-school activities-from watching TV to taking musical instrument lessons- they planned to participate in. The chart shows their answers for sports and exercise activities.

Percent of students ages 10, 13 and 18 who say they participate or intend to participate in sports are listed below:


Table 1

   

Age 10   

Age 13   

Age 18   

Non-school team

45%

32%

26%

Sports lessons

41

30

18

Pickup games

37

29

26

Intramural sports

24

26

19

Sports camps

23

25

17

General conditioning

21

41

47


"These figures are inflated by two factors," Hartley says. "The good intentions of young people who say they will get involved but in fact never do, and the involvement of many athletes in multiple sports categories. The figures on general conditioning are surely influenced by the equivalent of New Year's resolutions. Studies have shown that most kids are not attracted to exercise for its own sake because they find it boring."

When students were asked about the reasons why they dropped out of a sport, most said that they lost interest or that the sport wasn't fun. Time constraints either not enough time or schedule conflicts were also cited, as were problems with coaches.

"The answers, taken as a whole, suggest that more young people might stay in sports if sports were directed more toward their interests and needs. In many cases this means sports should be less demanding, less time-consuming, less geared towards winning, and less focused on the elite athlete," Hartley says.