Extramural

Parents have their reasons for wanting their kids to play sport, but the kids have different reasons.

What do the children say?

I can tell you what a research team found when they questioned children about their reasons for taking part in sport (both team and individual events). In the minds of children between 8 and 14 years of age there was no doubt about their most important reason for participation.

They take part because they see sport as an opportunity to make friends and to be accepted by their friends. They literally want the opportunity to be part of a team. (Even if you do an individual sport, you are still part of a group!)

The most important reasons (in sequence of importance are) are:
1. They want to make friends/ they want to do what their friends do.
2. They want to feel that they can do something (competence/ability).
3. They like the excitement of participating and competing.
4. They enjoy the fact that they can experience winning.
5. The aggression permitted in taking part in sport in important to them.
6. The felling of control or power they often experience is also important to them.
7. Being responsible for the results in their lives and not being dependant on others gives them a feeling of independence.

Do these motivations surprise you? Of course! If you knew why your child participates (HIS reason), then you would know how to motivate him and keep him happy. This is important as it gives you the opportunity to boost your child’s love for sport and to ensure that he retains it.

We must, in the first place, meet our children’s requirements (reasons) for participation. Once a child’s basic needs are met, only then can you start looking for other motives that may have been less important initially.

Excerpt from “Winning is for Kids and Parents” by Jannie Putter (Lapa Publishers, 2004)