Adolescents experience of access to sports : A qualitative study about adolescents in two smaller municipalities

Sport has the potential to attract and engage people into active, social, and healthy lifestyles. A high grade of easy access to sports facilities increases the chances to increase the number of participants. In smaller municipalities the choices of sports are often limited in comparison to bigger cities. The aim of this study was to gain understanding of how adolescents experience the choices of sports in their municipalities with a narrow range of sports to choose from. In relation to their experiences of local sports, this study also enlightens factors of importance to gain interest and continue in sports among youth, both in the initial phase of being new to a sport but also what keeps them interested to continue. With Bourdieu's theory of capital, field and habitus as a theoretical framework, this study gives attention to adolescents and their opportunities as well as obstacles for participation in leisure activities that includes sport. The selection of individuals for the study originate from two small municipalities: Nordmaling and Bjurholm with Bjurholm having the lowest number inhabitants in Sweden. Data for this study was collected through seven interviews where three of them were group interviews. The results show that the participants overall experience a good range of sports and sufficient opportunities for being active within their municipalities, despite that sports clubs are losing members, closing, and are unable to maintain sports facilities. The results also show that less popular sports also face difficulties to recruit new members, because of the norms within the municipalities. The study shows that friends often is a crucial factor, friends that quit usually results in their friends also quitting, where migration is one of the most common reasons. The conclusion of this study is that sports in Västerbottens rural municipalities of Nordmaling and Bjurholm has a narrow selection of sports, however they do attract youth but have difficulties of keeping them in the club as they grow older