RESEARCH
comparatively more popular among par- ents of children aged 16-18 than among other family groups. This may reflect par- ents of older, more independent children having more time to pursue their own sporting interests, or it may be that these sports are a means of finding shared interests at this particular stage of the family journey. The recent phenomenon of ‘mid-
dle-aged shred’ that has seen the skateboarders of the 1970s and 1980s return to the parks with their teenaged (or younger) kids is one expression of this type of bonding opportunity, and one that is more sustainable than skiing inter- ests that are – for the large majority – for family holidays only. Of more mainstream sports with
similar potential, cycling could have the standout opportunity on the back of British track and road racing success that could give the sport a new appeal to younger groups and persuade them to ride with the embarrassing dads in Lycra who will still be funding them to take up sport on a regular basis.
Issues going forward The report concludes that the sports par- ticipation market faces both some old chestnuts of barriers to play and some newer, more holistic issues that can be equally restrictive on consumers’ willing- ness or ability to take part. Pressure on investment in public facil- ity provision is unlikely to ease over the
Local authority leisure budgets are likely to force sport to look to a wider range of
providers to improve access opportunities
short term, continued fragility of con- sumer confidence could keep all leisure spending under review, and finding time for sport will remain difficult for pre-family and family groups alike – the former by choice, the latter by necessity.
NGBs could train leisure centre per-
sonnel to deliver their programmes The spike in interest in sport, post- Games, depends on quality programmes
Alongside these, and to create growth
in the crucial 14-25 segment in particular, sport will also have to address a number of more personal issues ranging from physical ability to play – and questions of body image that may affect perceptions of this – to the perceived need to wear the ‘right’ labels and use only ‘fashion- able’ facilities for play. The sports participation market is now
about to find out whether the London Olympics can buck the trend set by all its predecessors and foster a new culture of playing sport within its host population. The Games have always managed to
create spikes in interest in participation and the one surrounding London 2012 looks likely to have risen earlier and have a longer tail than that seen around the 2008 Beijing Games. The extent to which that interest is
translated into higher participation rates depends on the quality and readiness of the programmes governing bodies have put in place to capitalise on the oppor- tunity – and of consumers’ willingness to overcome the personal barriers that discourage them from taking to the field, court or streets. The government’s new policy focus on
Parents are encouraging their children to try out sports and activities they themselves enjoyed in childhood
44 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital
reversing the drop-out rate seen within the 14-25 age group will give sports an added incentive to target the group most likely to be inspired by the Games, but success or failure will hinge on their ability to lower long-standing barriers to entry led by cost of participation and access to facilities, and some newer, less tangible ones such as body image and self-confidence. ●
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