| The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between participation in structured, competitive sports and the free-play behaviors of young children. This purpose was accomplished by focusing on three research questions: what were the free-play behaviors of children who participated in structured, competitive sports; how did those behaviors compare to those of children who did not participate in structured, competitive sports; and what factors contributed to the difference between the free-play behaviors of the two groups?;Analyses of the data revealed significant differences in the free-play behaviors of children in structured, competitive sports as compared to those not in sports when analyzed by gender and by grade levels. Where differences existed, they were greater for females than for males. With the exception of grade one differences between the two groups in total expressions of playfulness and playing-at-play, the significant differences between children who participate in structured, competitive sports and those not in sports were found at grade three. The combined relationship of participation in competitive sports and advance in grade level was shown to be the factor contributing to the differences in play behaviors.;Participants in the study were a stratified random sample of children in grades one through three in a public school setting. The forty-two participants who were involved in structured, competitive sports and the forty-two who were not involved in sports were equally divided by grade and gender. Participants were observed during their free play at school over a period of two and one-half months; observations were recorded by video tape for coding of play behaviors. Behaviors were coded to compare the free play of children in structured, competitive sports to those not in sports in relation to social grouping, classification of play, expressions of playfulness, type of activity chosen, level of activity, and physical spontaneity. Analyses of the data included comparison of means by use of t tests, computation of Pearson product-moment correlations for pairs of variables, and hierarchical multiple regression. |
