Favoured activities The currently fastest-growing sports can be characterised as relatively low-cost and playable on the doorstep – such as cycling and athletics/running – or a short form of an established one (such as five- a-side football). Exclusive research highlights the most
frequently played sport. Fitness-focused sports that can be played on an indi- vidual basis and are readily accessible or require little organising are signifi- cantly more popular than any other type. The top five ‘individual sports’ played in the past six months are swimming (50 per cent), cycling (17 per cent), jogging (17 per cent), weight training and gym (15 per cent) and aerobics (11 per cent). Meanwhile, the most frequently played team sports are football (14 per cent), golf (7 per cent) and cricket (4 per cent). Fitness-focused sports that can be
played on an individual basis and are readily accessible or require little organis- ing are significantly more popular than any other type.
Number of sports played in the last six months, June 2011/June 2012 Base: 2,000 internet users aged 16+
2011 2012 % point % % change 2011-12
1 sport 2 sports
-2 16 14 -2
3-4 sports 23 17 -5 5+ sports 15 13 -2 No sports 29 38 9 SOURCE: GMI/Mintel
TeamGB’s cycling track and road race success could give the sport a new appeal with younger participants
Team and racquet sports have already
moved to incorporate elements of in- dividual and fitness sports’ character into their own offer – such as keep-fit Cardio Tennis, the drop-in sessions of No Strings Badminton and the FA’s ‘find a kickabout’ Just Play initiative – but these programmes need to roll out provision and awareness even more widely if they are to truly position themselves as part of the same doorstep fitness space. One way of achieving this increase in
awareness among would-be participants could be working more closely with other facility providers to enable these formats to be offered alongside standard swimming and other activities across the country’s 6,000+ public and private lei- sure centres and health clubs.
Can the London Olympics buck the
trend by fostering a culture of playing sport within its host population?
Governing bodies could consider mov-
ing some degree of focus away from being providers themselves and acting in the same way as commercial exercise class creators by training leisure centre and fitness club personnel to promote and de- liver their programmes themselves.
Family connection The report also highlights how new shared interests with kids are now out growing the back garden. Outdoor and alternative sports in general, and ski- ing/snowboarding in particular, are
Issue 4 2012 © cybertrek 2012
Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital
43
PIC: ©
WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
PIC: ©
WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84