Barriers to school sport participation: A survey among secondary school students in Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to determine factors affecting sport participation among 197 (103 females and 94 males) students aged 15–18 years (mean age: 16.5 years; s = 0.8 years) who were drawn from three secondary schools in Pretoria, South Africa. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Results indicated that participants were affected mainly by sports conflicting with their studies, loss of interest to participate in sport, lack of transport after school practice, poor self-perceived competencies in sport, conflict from other personal interests, and lack of parental support. These results provide information for planning and effective delivery of sports programmes in schools.

Keywords: School sport participation, barriers, students.