True-Sport-Report

At the middle and high school level—
where children begin dropping out of
sport—programs should be available for
freshman and junior varsity teams to ensure
continuity in playing experience for
those not experienced enough for varsity
sport. Second, programs should provide
opportunities for nontraditional and club
sport for those who want to start playing
a sport in high school but who are not
skilled enough to play at the varsity level.
There should be a place for anyone who
wants to play sport. It should be inclusive,
not exclusive.
Threats to Sport—Why Children
and Youth Stop Playing
Sport participation tends to drop off
around age 12, a critical time for developing
social skills and self-esteem. Some
studies estimate that roughly 35 percent
of children drop out of sport each year,
although some might join another sport
or return years later. 84
Seefeldt et al. 72 studied reasons for dropping
out among youth sport programs.
The leading reasons were: 1) no longer
interested in the sport; 2) it was no longer
fun; 3) the coach played favorites or was a
poor teacher; and 4) desire to participate
in other activities. Studies by Chambers 85
revealed that lack of playing time, dislike
of the coach, too much competition, too
many other activities in which to participate,
and lack of enjoyment are reasons
for youth ending their sport participation.
Other researchers have found similar
reasons why girls and boys drop out of
organized or team sports—for example,
family/money issues, health problems/
injuries, or interest in other activities.
Other reasons may include lack of playing
time, dislike of the coach, or too much
competition. 7,74
The Sport in America data found that not
having fun is a primary reason for quitting
(Figure 4). Ranked next were finding
something else to do, not being as good
as others, and wanting to focus more on
schoolwork.
The Sport in America research showed
that adults believe that children start
playing sport mostly because they are
having fun, but as children age (most cite
high school as a turning point), winning
begins to overshadow participation, and
children do not want to play a sport in
which they are unlikely to succeed. Early
research by Orlick 86 found that athletes
were discouraged by the overemphasis on
winning, which led to lack of playing time
and lost opportunities to gain experience.
Burnout is another reason for quitting.
Athletes who quit because they are burned
out typically have had intensive sport
experience, often with great success. 11
The reason for burnout relates to the time
and intensity of training, demanding
performance expectations (both internally
and externally imposed), abusive or overly
demanding coaches, intense parental
pressure, and inability to participate in
other social activities. 87 In other words,
despite the successes that can be involved
in playing sport, it may not be worth it
anymore, because the intrinsic rewards are
gone and it is simply not fun.
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