Sports Council Wales (1994)30 | • To examine young people’s feelings and attitudes about sport | Location: Wales (Pontypool, Haverfordwest, Wrexham, Swansea, and Maesteg) | • Young people tend to operate with a restricted definition of the word “sport” where it is taken to mean organised, rule governed, and competitive activity | Perceptions of/meanings of physical activity |
| • To explore the meanings of sports for young people and how they view their own involvement and the involvement of others | Sample number: 60 | • Pleasures associated with sport differ depending on degree to which it is perceived as recreational—work ethic prevalent. | • Distinction between organised, competitive “real” sport and “recreational sport for leisure”. |
| | Age range: 11–16 | • Egalitarian views widespread among young people as regards own and peers’ participation but tendency to revert to gender stereotypes when discussing adult participation. | Barriers |
| | Sex: mixed | • Body image important for participation, especially for young women. | • PE teachers’ favouritism of young people who do well at sport. |
| | Social class: not stated | | • Young women’s concern over their physical appearance. |
| | Ethnicity: all described as “white”. A minority were Welsh speaking. | | • Bad weather a problem for team games. |
| | Other information: sample over represented young women and aimed to include those less committed to sport. | | Facilitators |
| | Exclusions: none reported. | | • More encouragement at sports clubs for “non-sporty” people. |
| | | | • Making sport more fun |
| | | | • Provision of more opportunities to compete for young women. |