Sources of enjoyment in sport reported by South African sports participants with visual impairments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the sources of enjoyment in competitive sport experienced by individuals with visual impairments. Study participants were 20 sportsmen with visual impairments, all of whom had sufficient skill and experience to compete in South African national championships in goalball, swimming, or track and field. Each of these sportsmen was interviewed using a semi-structured qualitative interview with an open-ended response format. Verbatim transcripts of each interview were made. Two qualified researchers proceeded to apply the techniques of inductive content analysis to produce categories of meaning evident in the subjects' discussions about their sources of enjoyment in sport participation. Five general themes emerged from this analysis: (a) Perceptions of competence, (b) positive social experiences, (c) physical fitness, (d) mental aspects, and (f) emotional aspects. These themes are consistent with the sources of meaning identified through research on sportspersons without disabilities, which provides support for the growing recognition of the substantial similarities between sportspersons with disabilities and those without disabilities.


(S. African J. for Research in Sport, Physical Ed. and Recreation: 2002 24 (1): 1-16)