INSIGHT
Insight-driven delivery in practice
The Run Dem Crew describes itself as a “collective of creative heads with a passion for running and the exchange of ideas”
RUN DEM CREW (RCC), an east London night-running collective founded by Charlie Williams, redefines a traditionally solitary sport to empower and engage young people and give them something extra. RDC provides young people with
mentoring and advice, in addition to the
opportunity to explore London in a safe, unique, positive and supportive running environment. The message is that it’s not about just running. It’s about being in the pack and a valued part of the crew. It offers real-life benefits and uses relatable icons (such as celebrities) to set good examples.
Charlie Dark, from RDC, said: “Sport for
young people in the UK isn’t inspirational – at primary school they’re always running, but lose their love of moving. Competition is good, but focus should be on improving individuals, not comparing them to others. Competition can put people off for life.”
massive 45 per cent who sit in the middle ground where potential participants are less interested in sport but see a functional relevance which, if tapped, could deliver a real boom in participation. Many of these young people dip in and out of participation – the challenge for the sector is to talk and deliver directly to their needs and aspirations to help them build habits.
Finding solutions ■ Function over fun
One of the most challenging findings is that – while young people are looking for experiences to be fun – for many people sport was last viewed as fun in primary school. Valuing sport for its own sake gets lost in secondary school as it starts to be perceived as a more serious pursuit for those who are ‘good’ at it and this helps drive a definite shift in teenage years towards a functional rather than sporting motivation for taking part. By this I mean that selling sport as fun will not resonate with many young people.
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Key to understanding young people and sport
■ Young people are looking for functional benefits, not just fun.
■ Involve them in design and delivery. ■ What friends think of them is key so don’t make the experience isolating.
■ Make sessions tailored, personal, social and interactive.
■ Old perceptions are no longer valid. More success is likely to be had from
more adult motivations; demonstrating that taking part in sport can deliver something that they do care about – whether that be looking and feeling good, achieving personal goals, supporting a charity or providing a social setting to be with friends. Another solution is to help them track their progress towards their own goal and reinforcing that a particular activity is helping them.
■ The baggage of sport Sport is an emotive word. While many young people have positive associations with sport, we cannot ignore that many others have a strong negative response to the language of sport, and that this is a key driver for not taking part. Interestingly, when asked, young people
said that front of mind associations with the word ‘sport’ often focus on traditional, competitive school sports. Barriers to participation are often linked to past experiences, levels of interest and perceived competence. The universal concern expressed by the young people we spoke to was a desire not to be embarrassed in front of their peers. So while the activity may be sport, the message doesn’t need to be and a good place to start is to ask what outcome you’re selling to young people.
Putting the insight into practice Having better understood the audience it’s trying to engage, the sports sector needs
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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