Spatial justice, informal sport and Australian community sports participation

Jeanes, Ruth; Penney, Dawn; O’Connor, Justen; Spaaij, Ramón; O’Hara, Eibhlish; Magee, Jonathan; Lymbery, Lisa

doi:10.1080/02614367.2022.2085772

Cited by 16 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Thus, while informal sport represents an important avenue to support greater levels of physical activity participation across the population, addressing inequities in access to opportunities would be important in policy and resourcing efforts to support informal participation. Furthermore, our previous research has highlighted the systematic barriers informal groups face when seeking to participate, particularly around gaining access to space and facilities to play ( Jeanes et al , 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous research has illustrated that informal sport is largely absent from policies aiming to support increases in sport participation or health outcomes and as a result informal sport lacks legitimacy as a format of sport participation that can contribute significantly to key policy imperatives ( Jeanes et al , 2022 ; Wheaton and O’Loughlin, 2017 ). To fully leverage the capability of informal sport as a health promotion resource, it is essential that informal participation is recognized as a legitimate and valuable form of sport within health promotion and sport policies, investment strategies and planning frameworks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There has been limited exploration of informal formats of more traditional or mainstream sports (such as soccer, basketball, cricket) and studies that have been undertaken have not engaged significantly with the wider health promotion potential of informal sport. Analysis to date has illustrated some of the policy and governance challenges that exist in legitimizing informal sport within the sport participation landscape ( Wheaton and O’Loughlin, 2017 ; Jeanes et al ., 2019 ), issues surrounding access, facilities and space for informal participants ( Aquino et al ., 2022 ; Jeanes et al , 2022 ) and the role of informal sport in migrant and refugee resettlement ( Thorpe and Wheaton, 2021 ; Spaaij et al ., 2023 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A mixed-method analysis of the contribution of informal sport to public health in Australia

Jeanes,

O’Connor,

Penney

et al. 2024

Health Promotion International

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Informal sport is a growth area of sport participation but there has been limited examination of how informal and unstructured forms of participation may contribute to health outcomes that are important for public health. This article aims to address the current lack of data examining the health outcomes associated with informal sport participation and consider the potential role of informal sport within efforts to promote healthier communities through sport. The article seeks to broaden understanding of how informal sport participation can contribute to health outcomes, particularly with regard to increasing physical activity and enhancing mental health and social connection. The article discusses the findings of an Australian mixed-method study that draws on observation, survey, interview and focus group data to examine the prospective health and social benefits of informal sport participation for adults. The findings demonstrate that informal sport participation can contribute to physical and mental health outcomes and facilitate social connection. Analysis of the observation data enabled an examination of the economic value of informal sport in relation to the health benefits it affords. The study provides valuable evidence of the value of informal sport for enhancing community health and broadens understanding of how sport can be utilized as a health promotion resource. The article concludes by suggesting that through leveraging existing infrastructure and the self-organizing aspects of informal sport, local government and health stakeholders can harness its potential to improve public health outcomes and address health inequities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A mixed-method analysis of the contribution of informal sport to public health in Australia

Jeanes,

O’Connor,

Penney

et al. 2024

Health Promotion International

Self Cite

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“…( Eime et al , 2022 ), we caution that a sole focus on maximizing participation in organized or sports club environments might not be the most effective way of stimulating sustained engagement in PA for young people, especially in circumstances of change. Rather, there is a need to open up options to a broader range of PA opportunities including beyond structured settings ( Jeanes et al , 2021 ; O’Connor and Penney, 2021 ). There is also a need for targeting skills and capabilities to begin and sustain participation in non-organized PA, where a low level of physical competence and few resources are required.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustaining youth physical activity in times of challenge and change: lessons from COVID-19

Trask

Lockyer

Hildreth

et al. 2023

Health Promotion International

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Physical activity (PA) is recognized as essential for positive physical and mental well-being in young people. However, participation in PA is known to decline as adolescents emerge into adulthood under the influence of complex social and structural factors. Globally, COVID-19 restrictions resulted in changes to PA and PA participation levels in youth populations, providing a unique opportunity for gaining insight into PA barriers and enablers in circumstances of challenge, limitation and change. This article details young people’s self-reported PA behaviours during the 4-week 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand. Taking a strengths-based view and drawing on the COM-B (capabilities, opportunity and motivation behaviour) model for behaviour change, the study explores factors enabling young people to sustain or increase PA during lockdown. Findings are drawn from qualitative-dominant mixed-methods analyses of responses to an online questionnaire: New Zealand Youth Voices Matter (16–24 years; N = 2014). Key insights included the importance of habit and routine, time and flexibility, social connections, incidental exercise and awareness of links between PA and well-being. Of note were the positive attitudes, creativity and resiliency demonstrated as young people substituted or invented alternatives to their usual PA. PA needs to change to adapt to new circumstances over the life course, and youth understanding and knowledge of modifiable factors may provide support for this. Thus these findings have implications for sustaining PA during late adolescence and emerging adulthood, a life phase that can be associated with significant challenge and change.

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“…In this new diversity, the growth of activities categorized under the umbrella term "lifestyle sports" (e.g., skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, parkour, tricking, freeride skiing, longboarding, rock climbing, and other types of informal, explorative, and expressive movement activities) has garnered increased attention (Bignold 2013;Jonasson and Eriksson 2022;Rindler et al 2022;Säfvenbom et al 2018;Van Bottenburg and Salome 2010;Wheaton 2004;Wheaton et al 2017). Research has shown that despite public concern regarding a lack of adult leaders and structure, the number of young people involved in these types of activity contexts has been steadily growing in many nations (Howell 2008;Jeanes et al 2022;King and Church 2015;Thorpe 2012;Wheaton 2013) all over the world. In the early part of the research on lifestyle sports, these contexts were associated with some kind of subcultural positioning, but recent research has shown that the image of nonconformist outsiders has diminished.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental Outcomes for Young People Participating in Informal and Lifestyle Sports: A Scoping Review of the Literature, 2000–2020

2023

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The aim of this study is to review the literature on lifestyle sports and lifestyle sport contexts with regard to the developmental potential they may represent in young people’s everyday lives. The review applies a relational developmental systems approach to youth development. The eligibility criteria are based on the phenomenon of interest and outcomes. Hence, we include studies examining the associations between young people performing lifestyle sports and potential developmental outcomes: mental, biological, social, and behavioral. The present study shows that the volume of research on informal lifestyle sport is rather extensive and that studies on the way these activity contexts may affect developmental processes in youth are diverse and wide ranging. The studies suggest that performing lifestyle sports may have several beneficial health and skills outcomes. Furthermore, positive associations are suggested between involvement in lifestyle sport contexts such as climbing, snowboarding, parkour, tricking, kiting, and surfing and (a) mental outcomes such joy, happiness, freedom, euphoria, motivation, self-efficacy, and well-being; (b) social outcomes such as gender equality, network building, social inclusion, interaction, friendship; and (c) behavioral outcomes such as identity, creativity, and expressions of masculinity and/or femininity. The review performed indicates that lifestyle sport contexts are flexible according to needs and desires that exist among the practitioners and that the human and democratic origins of these contexts make them supportive for positive movement experiences and for positive youth development. The findings have implications for PE teachers, social workers, policymakers, sport organizations, and urban architecture, in that providing lifestyle sport opportunities in the everyday lives of young people will foster a holistic development in a positive way.

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Spatial justice, informal sport and Australian community sports participation

Cited by 16 publications

References 45 publications

A mixed-method analysis of the contribution of informal sport to public health in Australia

A mixed-method analysis of the contribution of informal sport to public health in Australia

Sustaining youth physical activity in times of challenge and change: lessons from COVID-19

Developmental Outcomes for Young People Participating in Informal and Lifestyle Sports: A Scoping Review of the Literature, 2000–2020

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