Youth experiences of accessibility to sport participation within suburban areas where organized sports are less present : A qualitative study on youth sport participation

Swedish sports clubs are becoming more concerned with how to attract young people to participate in organized sports. Young people with low socio-economic status and individuals with ethnic background are especially in mind as it has become clear that these individuals are excluded in the various activities of sports clubs. The aim of this study was to examine the possible obstacles for young adolescents to participate in organized sports. By identifying the visible and invisible obstacles through a gender- and socio-cultural perspective the four research questions were examined. The questions concerned within this qualitative study was how accessibility was described by the respondents; how the obstacles to participate in organized sport were experienced by the respondents; how the difference in sport participation was explained by the respondents from a cultural and socio-economic perspective and; how the differences in sport participation were explained by the respondents from a gender perspective. Through six focus groups encompassing 16 individuals between the age of 14–20 years old a Bourdieu approach was applied in order to interpret the content of the responses. The results showed that the youth experienced obstacles to participate in sport in two different ways. One was described as the physical means of being able to get access to sport which was transportation facilities, sports fees and costs for equipment. The other form of obstacle was described as underlying factors such as norms and expectations regarding participation in organized sports and a lack of perceived sense of belonging. Cultural background and gender were discussed as the two most contributing factors as to why some of the youth are not participating in organized sports. Swedish sports clubs should focus on how to include the youth needs into their day-to-day work rather than ensuring their participation in their current offered activities