StreetGames: Exploring sports pathways

Research debrief written by 2CV

March 2016

Contents

1

2

3

4

5

Background & Objectives

Setting the scene

Sport pathways

Understanding the stages of the pathway

The way forward

Background & Objectives

4

Background to the research

StreetGames wants to continue its valuable work of encouraging disadvantaged young people to develop ‘sporting habits’ for life, and thus improving their lives and the communities around them

To inform its work, StreetGames wished to understand what young peoples sporting pathways (from 14-25 years old) looked like

Specifically, there was a need to understand what the stages of that pathway look like:

• Whether or not there is a ‘lilypad’ approach to sport as young people hop from one type of sport to another

• If so, the nature of the journey they take, and the type of ‘hops’ made

• The types of journey people take and the key factors that influence them

• What sports/fitness types are involved in this journey

5

Our approach consisted of three complimentary methodologies

Hall Sessions

Friendship Triads

Exposure Workshop

2 x 4 hour hall sessions conducting 10 minute

interviews with 20 respondents per location

10 x 1.5 hour friendship triad

interviews

1 x 2.5 hr Exposure session (14-17 year olds

& 20-25 year olds)

3 Locations: Stoke on Trent, Enfield (London), Folkestone Respondents: Disadvantaged young people, mix 14-25 years old, not involved in StreetGames programmes Type of sports: Mix of different types recently and currently taken part in inc, team, 121, outdoor, fitness, individual etc mix of formal

AND informal

6

Headlines

Young people’s pathway through sports is more accurately characterised as ‘drifting’ from one sport to another than ‘lilypadding’ typified by…

• A lack of any obvious direction or momentum

• Sensitivity to relatively small triggers/barriers

This is largely because, while an interest for many, sport is rarely a priority for most and can quickly be pushed aside as the pressures of ‘real life’ become more apparent

• This is particularly apparent in the transition between school and adulthood, where the drop-off is steep

Their sports pathways can be broadly divided into three stages, with both the opportunities to participate and participation itself decreasing at each stage

• Taking part: Influenced by authority figures, particularly school, young people engage in a huge range of sports

• Fitting in: Peer group demands and expectations hold far more sway, as young people seek to carve out their own personal image among their friends. This is the point when people start to define themselves as either sporty or not.

• Gaining control: greater propensity to take part in sports for its own sake is challenged by limited opportunities to do so

Alongside this, gender differences mean that it is far easier for young men to stay involved and focused on sport; for young women this can be more of a binary decision

While it’s easy to drop out of sports, it seems just as easy to take them up; there is clear scope at each stage to encourage greater participation

Setting the scene

8

The shift from teen to adulthood feels sudden and can be dramatic

Puberty is an important time of change for any young person

• Changes to ‘self’ - identity, changing body & hormones

• Environmental changes- moving out of education, leaving home, greater independence

For disadvantaged young people the move from adolescence to adulthood can feel like an almost overnight change as responsibilities become very ‘real’ around 18 years old

• Money moves from being a ‘want’ to a pressing need

• Having a child is perceived to be the norm in some locations

• Support seems to quickly fall away (school/college, parents)

Priorities shift from fitting in and looking good to ‘managing’ my life

• For some, there is a feeling they have hit a dead end due to the choices they made when they were younger

As a result the window for intervention is small

Everything changed when I had my baby girl- now my life revolves around taking care of her and being a good mum

When I was about 13 I fell in with a bad crowd- we would smoke and drink after school. When I was 20 I fell pregnant and now I can’t remember the last time I partied!

9

Sport is rarely a priority for this audience

The young people we spoke to already feel like they have a lot on their mind

• Family and friends are priorities, as is doing well at school (younger) and money (older)

• Social problems such as drinking, drugs, gangs, bad crowds are a normal part of every day life

Sports are an adjunct to life for many, there are other priorities that take precedence

• Sport is not always connected to other parts of life, such as overall wellbeing (looking & feeling good)- lack of a ‘holistic health’ view

• Can feel ‘one dimensional’ and limited to getting a better body or used as social cred (especially for boys)

When I was younger all I cared about was fitting in and hanging out with my friends- I stopped playing basketball when I started drinking and going out

My friends and I used to go to the park and kick a ball around – now I have two kids and they are my priority

When I was at school being physically active wasn’t that important- I’m only now starting to learn about how it can make you feel better and help with mental health issues. I didn’t know that when I was at school

10

But sport still features in their lives, though this varies by type

This audience are primarily involved in things that seem ‘typical’ of most young people

• A focus on team sports while at school- football, netball, basketball

• These sports are accessible and tend to garner encouragement and have some ‘status’ (if you’re good at them)

• A move to more individual pursuits when older e.g. the gym, fitness classes, boxing

• Also accessible, these activities can support aspirations to look good and ‘get a better bod’

Outdoor pursuits like canoeing, rock climbing as well 1 on 1 sports such as tennis lack much representation amongst this audience

• They tend to be things that are done as a one-off but are too expensive and inaccessible to become more than that

There are examples of those exposed to less ‘typical’ pursuits unusually getting involved despite their being no obvious precedent in their social circle, if accessible and support is given

Examples include…

• Night fishing, Archery, Dressage, Synchronized swimming

My life is really stressful so when I need space I just go out on my own in the middle of the night and go fishing. It’s the only time I can be alone

11

Though school dominates, sports are also accessed outside of school (1)

The greatest variety of exposure to sport comes from PE and opportunities at school, however every young person we spoke to had engaged in at least one activity outside school at some point

TEAM SPORT CLUBS

Some young people take part in competitive sports such as football, basketball, rugby, hockey etc School or parents appear to be a key gateway for young people being encouraged or introduced to clubs. However this only seems to happen if a young person is deemed ‘good’ at the sport or it is a particular passion of the parent CLASSES – MARTIAL ARTS / FITNESS

A number of young people spoke about trying either martial arts/ boxing or fitness classes such as boxercise Motivation comes from the media and participation can feel aspirational

My teacher introduced me to my basketball club – he said I had potential

I do netball in school but I wouldn’t try and join a club outside school as you have to be really good, its not like they teach you

I went to boxing when I was 16, my mates were going and it looked cool, I went for about 6 months but I stopped when I got injured

12

Though school dominates, sports are also accessed outside of school (2)

The greatest variety of exposure to sport comes from PE and opportunities at school, however every young person we spoke to had engaged in at least one activity outside school at some point

GYM

Mostly not available in school, this becomes an attractive option for those 16 and over. Seen as broadly accessible and a way to look good/get fit, particularly for those not ‘good at’ team sports. First exposure to gym seems to happen around 16 years old – introduced by parents or friends. Particularly the case for mums and daughters

INFORMAL

This is a key part of participation but not always immediately identified by young people as a sport or fitness activity INTRODUCED BY FRIENDS: This is commonly ‘having a kick about in the park’ or shooting hoops or going out dancing INTRODUCED BY PARENTS: Might involve going swimming with their families on the weekend ON OWN: Some young people are going for runs or walking to town rather than taking the bus

I really hated PE at school but recently I’ve been going to the gym with my mum which is ok – not as embarrassing!

I’ve been swimming with my brother in the past when my mum used to take us

I don’t really do anything at the moment but I do sometimes walk into town rather than take the bus as I guess that’s good for you!

Sports pathways

14

Sports journeys involve more ‘drifting’ than ‘hopping’

The way young people are moving between sports is quite passive and opportunistic

• They tend not to actively seek out new sports

• Instead they rely on other people and their environment to nudge them into participation (e.g. being asked to join the school netball team, a friend asking to come along to a class, a new gym opening)

Lack of direction and lack of momentum mean that sports journeys are patchy and somewhat random, sometimes punctuated by periods of intense focus

• This is seen as very much the norm and not problematic

There is very little indication that one sport leads to participation in another

• There can be cross-over with 2-3 sports being taken part in around the same time but there are also often lengthy gaps between dropping one sport and starting another

The fact that young people are drifting in and out of activities means that for many, projecting into the future and picturing sports in their own lives is difficult

I did lots of sport at school because I kind of ‘had to’ – then as soon as I finished school I stopped completely

When I was a kid I was very active- then I fell in with a ‘bad crowd’ and started drinking and smoking

15

Availability and Support have the biggest impact on initial participation

WHAT’S AVAILABLE TO ME? WHO IS SUPPORTING ME?

• Exposure to different sports (mainly through school)

• Facilities in the town (eg football fields, basketball hoops etc)

• How accessible the sport feels to them (real or perceived)

• Other people who are willing to do the sport with me (for team sports)

• A coach who takes a special interest and offers support/encouragement

• Friends/peers who are into sports

• Parents who are supportive- encouraging the importance of sports, driving & picking up from practice etc

When I was at school one of the coaches took interest in me and encouraged me to join the rugby team because he thought I would be good at it. After school he wasn’t around so I just stopped

If there was a football field near my house I would play all the time- there is no green space where I live, so it’s difficult

16

However, ‘small’ barriers can often get in the way and result in complete drop off

The center shut down

I started smoking and drinking with my

friends

My mum didn’t have time to take me to swimming practice

I got bored of it and decided to

stop

My friend stopped

going so I did too

There is very little persistence when it comes to sports, lots of ‘acceptance’ that it wasn’t meant to be

17

The biggest drop off occurs in the transition between school and ‘adulthood’

The end of school/college marks a major dip in level and frequency of participation

School years

Adulthood

Teen

age years

13-15

Dropping in and out throughout

Leaving school is when it all changed – I just stopped taking part in stuff after that

End

of Sch

oo

l/Co

llege

School provides a lot of the exposure and accessibility to sports, without this there is an obvious dip

18

Some young people stop taking part in any sport post-school

End of school/college also marks a point where young people drop out of out-of-school activities and some stop sport all together

A number of factors seem to play a major role:

• Young people have been up to now channelled into ‘structured’ sports environments through school/parents, without this they struggle to find their way into sports

• Some young people feel they have been forced to do sports and never develop intrinsic enjoyment in it

• This seems to be more true of girls than boys

• Shift in priorities, sports no longer fits

• Life can feel/be ‘chaotic’ as support structure fall away

This also marks the point for many where they get involved in a ‘bad crowd’ and issues such as drugs, drinking etc escalate

I did lots of sport at school because I kind of ‘had to’ – then as soon as I finished school I stopped completely

When I was a kid I was very active- then I fell in with a ‘bad crowd’ and started drinking and smoking

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And it can feel difficult to start taking part again after this point

The longer young people have stopped doing any activities the harder it becomes to pick up sports again

• Even if they have a desire later down the line to start again

Jess, 17 years old, Stoke on Trent “I never really liked sports at school – it was all team sports like rounder's which I cant do, and I’d get bullied in the changing rooms by the other girls because of my body” “I just don’t see how sports are for me as I’m not competitive and for other stuff like the gym you need money. Plus that’s not what my friends do – I know smoking doesn’t help either”

Chris, 19 years old, Folkestone “I used to play football with my brother and then at school – it was cool but its just not my priority now, I’ve got responsibilities” “Even if I wanted to play again, how would I?”

20

Sport Pathway Case Study: Neil, Enfield, 20 years old

I started Karate when I was 11 as my mum started

taking me to classes

20 18 16 14

I started playing rugby in the school team because my

PE teacher suggested it

I started going gym as my mate introduced me to

body-building

I wasn’t really seeing results from the gym –

plus it was pretty expensive and I didn’t

have a lot of time

I sometimes have a kick about in the park with mates

but don’t really have the motivation for much else

I tried loads of different sports in PE

at school – trampolining,

rounders, benchball

I stopped rugby as I started going to college and they

don’t have a team

To be honest I got in a bad crowd and

spent a lot of time chilling with mates

not doing sport Sports just aren’t really part of my life anymore and I cant see that changing. My priority is making money, that has to come first

I stopped Karate after a

while, not sure why

really, it just got boring

21

Sport Pathway Case Study: Laura, Stoke on Trent, 24 years old

I enjoyed sports at school- especially

football and basketball

24 22 20 18 16 14

I was still playing football but less

now as a lot of my mates would want to do other things

after school

I got pregnant and my life completely

changed

I went to a dance class a couple of times with my friend but everyone there was very

skinny and fit- I felt intimidated and didn’t go back

My life consists of working as much as I can to get money for

my family, I don’t have time for much else

I would sometimes go with my brother and

his mates after school to play football in the park- I was always a

bit of a ‘tomboy’

I had a big falling out with my brother

when he married a girl I don’t like and

we stopped speaking and hanging out

My main priority became my child- I

would do anything for her. It is a full time job taking care of her and I

have very little help

I started smoking around this time

which made me feel less fit and made it harder to run for

long periods of time

I still went to the park- but instead of playing football we

would drink and smoke weed

If there were more facilities for me to play football and bring my kid along and know there was someone to take care of her I would love to play again

I’d also like to try dance again but I’m scared I would just make a fool of myself- I would love it if there were dance classes just for + sizes. I think that would be really fun and a lot more people would go!

Understanding the stages of the pathway

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The pathway can be divided into three stages

24 22 20 18 16 14

TAKING PART

Availability of sports and support at their highest Number of sports taken part in at its highest

FITTING IN

GAINING CONTROL

Availability of sports and support at their lowest Number of sports taken part in at its lowest

AGE

In the following sections we will explore at each stage: • What this means for sports • Key Influencers • Differences by gender

Stage 1: Taking part

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What this means for sports

There is a high level of exposure to sports through PE at school

• Taking part is mandatory, and you are encouraged to try different things

• School participation can lead to outside school engagement in teams and activities

Team sports are most common – rounder's, football, hockey, netball, basketball

Sport is primarily social and has social benefits

Lots of uniformity in what young people are taking part in

• Sports are considered ‘just what you do’

• Normally taking part in more than one activity at a time

Trying out, not seeking out is the norm

• Encouragement and facilitation from school and parents have a big impact in take up and sticking to activity

• Engagement in sports is quite passive, it tends to be ‘pushed onto them’ - however, many still find it enjoyable

TAKING PART 01

26

PARENTS “I play rugby because my

dad is really into it, he takes me to practice and has always encouraged me”

“My mum takes me and my

brother swimming every Friday afternoon”

PE TEACHERS “My PE teacher

said I should join the netball team –

so I did”

OLDER SIBLINGS “My brother always invites me for a kick-

around with his mates so that’s what

got me started”

SPORTS COACHES “My football coach said I had potential and was really supportive of me

doing basketball”

TAKING PART 01 Key Influencers

Authority figures seem to exert most influence on how and when young people take part in sports at this stage

SCHOOL “School is where you

get to try lots of different sports – it introduced me to

trampolining which I really like”

27

Gender differences

For girls, sports mainly seems to be kept separate from friendships and ‘free time’

More likely to feel ‘forced’ to do sports rather than enjoy them

• This is largely driven by the perception that sports (especially sweating) is ‘un-girly’

• Lacking the same social cred as it does for boys

Some are participating in football and basketball and really enjoying it

TAKING PART 01

Football and basketball are played informally and formally by boys with friends and offer fun and social credibility • A kick about with mates or shooting a few

hoops in free time is common

I know if I go to the basketball hoops near my house,

there will probably be a mate there who will up for

hanging out – it’s the way we chill

Stage 2: Fitting In

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What this means for sports

During this period young people are going through GCSEs and moving from school to college or for some, out of education

• Exposure to sports reduces as well as its level of priority in school/college (no longer mandatory, focus is on academia)

• Benefits of participation are unclear

• The ‘getting in with a bad crowd’ phase can start

Social capital is of primary concern, looking good and NOT embarrassing yourself become more important

• The focus on sports for ‘looking good’ and to ‘get the bod’ grows – gym, body building and boxing become more popular

• Those who are ‘good’ at a sport and receive validation are more likely to stick to it

Mind-set towards sports also becomes more binary

• You can’t like a sport and not be very good at it- you are sporty or not

• Focus on sport vs focus on academia – you can’t be good at both

• You can’t like sports and not be competitive

As a result the number of sports taken part intends to drop at this point

• Less openness to trying new things

FITTING IN 02

I go to the gym to look good- I don’t

want to get fat

I was always told at school that I’m not very

sporty so now I have stopped doing sports

30

FRIENDS “My mates mean the world to me, I’m not very close with my

parents so I spend as much time as I can with

my mates

SOCIAL MEDIA “Going out and taking

good pictures is important- everyone

has an Instagram account”

FILMS/MUSIC “I love the rocky films- that’s what first got me into

boxing”

Key Influencers

• The influence of school/college and parents reduces significantly – less support is offered and less support is accepted

• Peer group exerts more influence on what young people take part in • Keeping up with friends and looking good

FITTING IN 02

• Influence from popular culture; music, movies, ‘stars’ • A number of boys taking up

boxing based on inspiration from movies (though they tend to drop this quite quickly)

31

Gender differences

Girls feel that some sports are more for ‘tom-boys’ so drop out of participation

Happens mainly in football and basketball

Feels like a guy’s sport

For many the idea of sports does not fit with ideal body type:

“big boobs, big bum, long nails”

Active is not attractive – e.g. sweating!

The gym is the best option, helps you look good

For boys certain sports hold more social currency: ‘football’ ‘boxing’ ‘basketball’

But as football becomes more ‘serious’, less room to participate unless you’re ‘good at it’ and your dream is to be a footballer

It’s tough to keep playing football as you get older as it gets really competitive and

so you can get judged if you’re not that good

FITTING IN 02

Stage 3: Gaining Control

33

How this plays out in sports

Very little support, access or encouragement to do sport

• Must find it for yourself

• Lack of time and money are big barriers

• Perceived lack of facilities outside of ‘gym’

Much more about individual activities like going to the gym to look good, de-stress, feel good

• A desire to do sport but systematic barriers get in the way

• A greater understanding of holistic health and how sports fits into this – mental and physical wellbeing

• Lack of access to team sports unless you’ve always done it

• Put off trying things that aren’t individual unless they feel they’ll be ‘good at it’

• May go back to activities tried in the past

Looking back: Post-rationalised – want to encourage sport in their younger siblings / children

• They feel sports have or would have stopped them falling in with a bad crowd

• They feel sports would have been good for them but now it’s ‘too late’

03 GAINING CONTROL

34

PARTNER “My boyfriend has been

encouraging me to go to the gym as he thinks

I’m looking a bit fat”

CHILDREN “I want to be fit and

healthy for my daughter- I don’t want

to be the fat mum chasing her daughter at the playground ”

FRIENDS “If my friends went to gym classes I would go with them- I don’t like

to go alone

Key Influencers

• Lack of external/institutionalised support means young people have to rely on those closest to them to encourage sports participation

• Partners and friends play an increasingly important role in activity levels- if they encourage it, participation is more likely

03 GAINING CONTROL

• Children play an increasingly important role- a sense of wanting to ‘be better’ for your children in terms of looking good but more importantly, in terms of ‘feeling good’ – to be a better parent to them

35

Gender differences

Girls feel less supported at this stage- with no one giving them encouragement they tend to drop out of sports almost completely

Some feel embarrassed about their body-weight or the fact they dropped out earlier on and need reassurance they can pick sports back up

A few outliers are picking up new activities such as yoga and pilates

Boys tend to participate in sports more than girls at this stage

They still tend to have more dedicated time with mates, which often involves physical activity (eg kicking around a football in the park) and a sense of informal ‘fun’

03 GAINING CONTROL

The way forward

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The triggers and barriers along the sports pathway vary by stage

Taking Part

Fitting in

Gaining Control

1

2

3

Triggers: • Exposure and accessibility high • Sport is the norm • Parents and school can have a big impact • Open to trying new things • Part of socializing

Barriers: • Lack of parent/school support • Changes in accessibility • Finding it hard to stick to things

Triggers: • Looking after health • Reflecting back • Looking good

Triggers: • Looking good • Copying friends / media • Being the best

Barriers: • Lack of parent support • Reduction in accessibility • Seeing sport as an either/or • Not wanting to ‘embarrass self’

Barriers: • Accessibility (incl money) • Time • Hard to get started again once stopped

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Thought-starters for interventions along the pathway

Mentoring for Mastery Help young people to not only try new things but also to feel a sense of PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT in the activities they take part in. This will help them develop intrinsic enjoyment and stick to (or at least come back to) activities. The key players are parents, teachers, coaches who can become champions of participation and most importantly need to be champions through-out the pathway. Young people can be encouraged to become mentors themselves not necessarily based on sporting performance but on their willingness to take part.

Norming not performing Attach sports to their PRIORITIES, being clear on the benefits’ that sports offers to their SOCIAL CAPITAL. Sports should be positioned as the ‘norm’ with accessibility and support keeping up the momentum for sports (developed in earlier stage of the pathway). Challenge the status quo of what it means to be ‘sporty’, particularly for girls. Show how sports can be a fun/cool alternative to the ‘bad crowd’

Access AND Support At this stage young people are primed and ready to access sport because of the PHYSICAL & MENTAL WELLBEING it offers but need the reassure that sports can be picked back up whatever your ability. Provide the access that is lacking at this stage. Facilities need to be low cost and offer opportunities for involvement that fit around other responsibilities e.g. a crèche at a gym.

Taking Part

Fitting In

Gaining Control

1

2

3

Thank you

Rob.hartley@2cv.com

Stephanie.gaydon@2cv.com

Jo.upton@2cv.com