‘Like
sports, some people would think maybe that physical education is something that
you kind of have to do in school, and then people then who might think they're
kind of sporty people and join a club, and activity...well, it's their choice
and they kind of do it outside of school and in their own time, kind of like
that. That one would be by choice and would, maybe not’
(Senior level active girl, Woods, Moyna, Quinlan et al., 2010).
‘Well
physical activity would be like swimming or, would that be sports? I'm
confused, um’ (Inactive
girl, Woods, Moyna, Quinlan et al., 2010).
The young
people’s responses above to a question asking them to differentiate between
physical education, physical activity and sport conveys a certain level of
ambiguity, and perhaps this is understandable. Moreover, providing a definitive definition of
sport would be illogical in a chapter
that seeks to present young people’s
voices on their experiences of what they construct as sport, acknowledging that
sports themselves are ‘contested (physical) activities’ (Coakley, 2004) and
that ‘sport’ is more than just a physical activity. It is feasible, however, to
identify some commonalities when young people define and discuss their
experiences of sport. These shared views relate to a wide range of informal and
formal recreational and fitness-related team and individual activities, competition,
being a member of a sport club, concern with improving performance, presence of
a coach and being motivated internally and / or by external rewards.
This chapter
foregrounds what young people convey, using their own voices, about their sport
experiences (i.e., what they construct to be sport experiences) and how such
experiences may result in young
people feeling included or excluded in youth sport. Inclusion is about equal
opportunities for all young people, whatever their background, experiences and
circumstances, and has tended to focus particularly on disadvantaged and
under-represented young people in sport (Collins, 2004). Other authors have examined
social inclusion by examining the interface between issues of equity, equality
and social justice (acknowledging that clear definitions for each remain contested)
that arise when young people feel included in or excluded from sport (Hayes
& Stidder, 2003; Penney, 2002). Arguably, exclusionary practices in sport
can arise from stereotypical views and expectations of sport and resulting assumptions
that not only impact a young person’s (lack of) current involvement but also
future participation. Moreover, it is important to remember that poverty has
been identified as the core of exclusion (Collins, 2004), although there is
limited evidence about the extent to which young people are either conscious of
this at a young age or can clearly articulate the issue in their own voice.
The key purpose of
this chapter is to allow young people’s voices in sport to be heard, rather
than adults’ recollections of their involvement in sport as youngsters. Previous
studies have reported, retrospectively, adults’ reflections on the sport they experienced
as a child (e.g. David, 2005). However, if sport is to be valuable and valued
in young people’s lives, it is imperative that the voices of young people
inform and help to create appropriate, worthwhile and meaningful sporting
provision. It is also important to
remember that discrimination against individuals or populations in sport is extensive
and well-documented (Fernandez-Balboa, 2000). Concerns have been raised about issues
of (in)equity in sport and the influence of the interlinking of a number
of characteristics including social
class, disposable income, levels of educational attainment, location, gender,
ethnicity, (dis)ability, sexuality and at-risk youth.
What this means
is that young people’s voices are always positioned within a range of physical,
social, geographical, and economic factors and, moreover, that some of the potential inclusion/exclusion
factors may not yet have arisen due to
the young person’s age and exposure to
particular life opportunities. What young people convey about their experiences
of sport will therefore, to some extent, be positioned by their exposure to,
and experience of, different stages of sport participation. The development
model of sports participation accommodates a progression from the ‘sampling
phase’ to the ‘specialising years’ and then to the ‘investment/recreation
phase’, acknowledging that at any stage of involvement young people can choose
to move to take part on a recreational basis or drop out (Côté & Hay,
2002). It is not always possible however, from the available extracts of young
people’s voices, to match the stage of sport participation with what young
people share about their experiences of sport.