The transition to adulthood

A game changer!? A longitudinal analysis of the impact of five major life events on sport participation

Bibliographic Data

ID6144945
AuthorsJasper M A Van Houten (HAN University of Applied Sciences, corresponding author), Gerbert Kraaykamp (0000-0001-5692-1907, Radboud University Nijmegen), Ben Pelzer (Radboud University Nijmegen)
Year2019
Volume16
Issue1
Pages44-63
Publication date2019-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal for Sport and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1613-8171 • E-ISSN: 2380-5919
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/16138171.2019.1603832
OpenAlexW2941166473
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited55

This article investigates the relationship between major life events and sport participation during the transition to adulthood. Two waves (2009 and 2013) of a Dutch panel study provided information on education, employment, relationship, civil/marital status, and parenthood for 2829 Dutch citizens (ages 15–45) and their sport behaviour. Our analyses indicate that respondents who left full-time education, began to work, entered and/or formalised a relationship, and became a parent participated less frequently in sport than those who did not (between-person differences). Moreover, experiencing these events reduced sport frequency (within-person changes). All events except beginning to work reduced the number of sports practised. Further, those who entered an intimate relationship were more likely to switch from a ‘heavy’ club-sport setting to a ‘lighter’, more individualised setting and to stop practising sport altogether, compared to those who stayed single. Those who left full-time education and started working were more likely to continue sport in a club setting, compared to those who continued education and did not start working. Sport providers, programmes, and policies could use these results to inform efforts to pre-empt impacts of major life events, thus curbing drop out and retaining sport participants, especially during the transition to adulthood

Club · Marital status · Sociology · Transition (genetics · Work (physics · Demography · Engineering · Medicine · Psychology · Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access