Toward a richer understanding of girls' sport and physical activity experiences

This qualitative study examined the organized sports experiences of girls 8 to 13-years-of-age. The purpose was to determine, through the perceptions of the girls in this study, the factors which led to more satisfying sports experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 sports participants and 11 nonsport participants concerning their current and past experiences with sports participation. In addition, nonsport participants were asked to discuss the leisure activities in which they chose to participate in place of sports.;The interviews addressed issues related to the girls' initial involvement such as who or what influenced them to participate in sports, whether they had picked the sports in which they participated, the levels of family member participation in sports, and the qualities the girls liked and disliked about sports. Questions were also asked which addressed issues related to the influences which positively and negatively affected the nature and quality of the girls' sports experiences. These questions probed girls' perceptions concerning their best and worst memories while participating in sports, their opinions concerning positive and negative coaching qualities, their understanding of success in sports, and their thoughts concerning future participation.;By presenting the direct quotes of the girls, the reader is allowed a first-hand examination of the components girls described as positively and negatively influential in their organized sport experiences. Parents and siblings emerged as the most frequent influence in girls' initial involvement in organized sport. Recreation center workers, peers, and family members other than parents were also identified by the girls as influential towards initial participation. A different group of influences emerged when the girls related their memories and perceptions concerning the nature and quality of their experiences participating in organized sports. Parents and siblings became less influential, while coaches and teammates began to emerge as more influential.;Qualities described by the girls as the most important factors in sports experiences included encouragement, fun, social interaction, and skill development. These factors closely paralleled the priorities of the educational model of sport created by women physical educators at the turn of the century.