Young people seek meaningful experiences which benefit them as an individual – so offering non-traditional activities can help engage new audiences
Leaving education is a cliff edge in terms of accessing sport. Work colleagues are less of an influence than friends and family – it’s no wonder many young people drop out at this stage
■ Passive participation can give a false impression of engagement with sport. Many young people are carried along by friends or family, or what’s happening in their educational setting. This may lead to a false impression of a young person’s engagement with sport, and put them at risk of stopping when their physical environment, or those around them, change. It is a given that young people’s lives are characterised by change whether that be leaving education, starting a job, leaving home or starting a family. Leaving education represents a cliff
edge in terms of accessing tailored sporting offers and work colleagues are less of an influence on participation than friends and family. As horizons broaden,
sport has to compete with or connect to wider interests and priorities to stay relevant in the lives of many young people. Overlay the requirement (perhaps for the first time) to make an active choice to ‘opt-in’ to sport, it’s little wonder that many young people drop out at this stage. Although there are existing examples
of good practice, there’s no question that community sport could be far more targeted when it comes to supporting young people at the precise moments of change in their lives. Asking the question ‘what would make it incredibly easy to take
part?’ is a good place to start. ■ The supply of sport is designed for and reaches those who are already engaged. Young people are seeking meaningful
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
experiences which benefit them as an individual and help them develop and reinforce their place in their social group. In reality, sport can require compromise and isolation from peers; leading large numbers to turn their back on sport. It’s clear that there’s a need for a broader offer which meets more diverse needs.
The shape of the market Using the insight, we’ve broken the market down into its component parts. From this, we can determine the relative size and significance of different sections. We know that 20 per cent of young people are consistently active and positive about sport. And 20 per cent are also consistently inactive and uninterested. But it’s the
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