O’Reilly, N.J., Berger, I.E., Hernandez, A., Parent, M.M., Seguin, B. -Ryerson University,
SRG 2006
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Project Summary
This research examines participation and engagement with sport among Canadian urban youth and the resulting impact on athlete development, sport organizations, businesses, sponsors and Canadian society. Particular emphasis is put on the city of Toronto and pool and rink sports. There are four research questions:
- In what ways and how deeply are young urban Canadians engaged in sport?
- What is the engagement process?
- What capacity exists to facilitate, support and enhance engagement?
- What roles, responsibilities and benefits accrue to business, government and non-profit organizations?
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SCRI 2009 Presentation Slides
Active engagement in sport is known to be important to Canadians and to a vibrant Canadian society, in terms of economics, health and identity. Yet statistics point to an alarming rise in obesity levels, significant declines in participation rates and the call for “collaboration” between governments, non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses to enhance participation. This program of research addresses these issues in the context of the Canadian Sport Policy’s focus on increasing participation as an essential component of a healthy society. Specifically, we are examining participation and engagement with sport among Canadian urban youth and the resulting impact on athlete development, sport organizations, businesses, sponsors and Canadian society. This research project is being pursued through the systematic investigation of engagement with sport among high school age youth in Toronto and Montreal, with particular attention to pool and rink sports. We are addressing four main themes:
- In what ways and how deeply are young urban Canadians engaged in sport?
- What is the engagement process?
- What capacity exists to facilitate, support and enhance engagement?
- What roles, responsibilities and benefits accrue to business, government and non-profit organizations?
To date, we have completed Project I, are near completion of Project II, are midway on Project III, and are planning Project IV. In addition to 5 conference presentations, the following publications (peer-reviewed) have been achieved.
- Berger, I., O’Reilly, N., Parent, M., Seguin, B., and Hernandez, T. (in press). “Determinants of Sport Participation Among Canadian Adolescents”, Sport Management Review.
- Vander Kloet, M., O’Reilly, N., & Berger, I. (2007). “Youth, Youth Culture, Sport and Physical Activity: A Literature Review and Implications for Future Research”, The Journal of Youth Sports, 2(2), 14-23.
- Hernandez, T., Berger, I., Brissette, C., O’Reilly, N., Parent, M., Seguin, B. “Sport participation in Canada: A longitudinal cohort analysis of youth”, Conference Proceedings (Full paper), Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference (ASAC), Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 2008.
Important findings to date include the following. First, an extensive review of the General Social Survey (GSS) identified six factors which have impact on sport participation: (i) household context, (ii) gender, (iii) community context, (iv) self-perceptions, and (v) competing behaviours. Second, a netnography further supports this analysis in that it is youth in situations who lack the supportive environment are most in need of policy support not those in middle-class, two parent families. Third, a cohort analysis of Canadian youth identified key trends by age cohort, gender, geography and household income between 1992 and 2005. Notably, this analysis found that the younger generations are decreasing their participation rates at higher levels than other cohorts.
Active engagement in sport is known to be important to Canadians and to a vibrant Canadian
society, in terms of economics, health and identity. Yet statistics point to an alarming rise in
obesity levels, significant declines in participation rates and the call for “collaboration” between
governments, non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses to enhance participation. This
program of research addresses these issues in the context of the Canadian Sport Policy’s focus
on increasing participation as an essential component of a healthy society. Specifically, we are
examining participation and engagement with sport among Canadian urban youth and the
resulting impact on athlete development, sport organizations, businesses, sponsors and
Canadian society.
This research project is being pursued through the systematic investigation of engagement with
sport among high school age youth in Toronto and Montreal, with particular attention to pool and rink sports. We are addressing four main themes:
- In what ways and how deeply are young urban Canadians engaged in sport?
- What is the engagement process?
- What capacity exists to facilitate, support and enhance engagement?
- What roles, responsibilities and benefits accrue to business, government and
non-profit organizations?
Presently, the research is moving from secondary and netnographic analysis to geo-spatial
analysis and investigations of youth who participate in sport at some minimum level to
considering motivations, processes, capacity and relationships across different forms and
degrees of engagement.
This will provide the groundwork needed to formulate business strategies and government
policies that can motivate socially positive forms of urban youth engagement. The results will
contribute to enhancing the pool of participants from which high performance professional and
competitive athletes develop and will provide insights into how businesses and policy makers
can promote and benefit from more active and ‘healthier’ lifestyles among Canadian urban
youth.
SCRI 2007 Presentation Slides
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