Constraints to participation in organised sport: case of senior undergraduate students at a new generation university

Abstract

Tertiary institutions are vital settings for helping young adults gain the physiological, psychological and social benefits of participating in organised sport. This study aimed at determining the constraints that prevent students from continuing participation in organised sport at a South African university. It used a quantitative research design in which a structured questionnaire was administered to 283 senior undergraduate students based at three campuses of a university located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Exploratory factor analysis was employed in identifying six constraints, namely ‘time and scheduling’, ‘accessibility’, ‘lack of partners’, ‘personal/psychological factors’, ‘socialising activities’ and ‘facilities’. The t-tests showed significant differences between males and females for ‘lack of partners’. An Analysis of Variance confirmed significant differences for ‘accessibility’, ‘socialising activities’ and ‘facilities’ relative to the amount of money available for leisure.

Key words: Organised sport; Leisure constraints; Sport participation; University students.