| Over half of Canadian children and youth are involved in organized sport on a regular basis (Clark, 2008), choosing from a number of institutionalized, adult-driven activities (Cahill & Pearl, 1993). In contrast to informal sports, organized sports for youth are usually formally designed and facilitated by adults (Coakley & Donnelly, 2004). Given the prominence of adult-organized sport for youth, it is important to understand what youth involved find meaningful, and more specifically how the physical environments they participate in affect their experiences.;The purpose of this study was to examine how participants perceive artifacts in a figure skating club. The research project involved 8 figure skaters between 13 and 15 years of age. Data collection included researcher observations and photographs, and photo-elicited interviews (two per participant; Collier, 1957; Samuels, 2004). The first interview involved skaters identifying, photographing, and discussing artifacts in their training environment. For the second interview, participants shared their perceptions of artifacts they had photographed (i.e., the skaters' dressing room, and artifacts relating the coaches) and ones that were primarily photographed by the researcher (i.e., the plaques and display cases). A semi-structured interview guide was used in the second interview to address the instrumentality, aesthetics, and symbolism of each artifact.;Systematic data analysis was conducted using a priori coding with the assistance of Atlas.ti. A total of91 artifacts were photographed, including skates, lockers, mirrors, jumping harnesses, etc. Results showed that participants saw artifacts instrumentally, aesthetic, and symbolically, with some artifacts eliciting more discussion than others. During the first interview, participants tended to focus on the instrumentality of artifacts, commenting on how artifacts helped them achieve goals of skill development and socialization. In the second interview, skaters commented on all three dimensions when asked specific questions about the artifacts.;Research into artifacts from multiple perspectives may help managers better understand how to design training environments for youth (Rafaeli & Vilnai-Yavetz, 2004a, 2004b). In the case of sport clubs, executive board members and coaches can make conscious decisions to develop, enhance, or remove artifacts, creating a training environment that matches the goals and intentions of both the club and participants.;The physical spaces of sport clubs are made up of various physical artifacts, such as trophies, photographs, bulletin boards, and training equipment. Although artifacts are common in many organizations, the complexity and perceptions of them are often overlooked (Rafaeli & Pratt, 2006; Vilnai-Yavetz, & Rafaeli, 2006). Vilnai-Yavetz and Rafaeli (2004) present a framework for analyzing artifacts based on three perspectives: instrumentality, aesthetics, and symbolism. |
