Extracurricular sport and physical activity in Welsh secondary schools: Leisure lifestyles and young people

Abstract

This paper presents research into an initiative that promotes extracurricular sport and physical activity opportunities for young people in Welsh secondary schools. The purpose of the research was to develop a nuanced understanding of young people’s participation, and non-participation in the initiative and its connection to their leisure lifestyles. An accumulated twelve month period of ethnographic case study research was undertaken. An exploratory 18-week study period was spent in six Welsh secondary schools that led to phase two, a further eight week period at two of the original six schools visited. The research adopted a young person-centred approach and used observations, focus groups, interviews and classroom activities for data collection. The findings highlighted the importance of locating extracurricular sport and physical activity as part of young people’s leisure lifestyles. The success of the initiative appeared closely linked to three principal factors: its perceived image; the type and range of activities offered; and the ability of the sport development officer to connect to young people. An explanatory framework is proposed as a means of making sense of the research findings and identifying the implications for policy makers interested in introducing and managing similar initiatives.