- New research makes for tough reading for sport-loving Australians
- Paints a bleak picture of the future of sport in the country
- It also includes some good news about participation.
An alarming percentage of young Australians want to stop playing sport, according to a new report which has identified two major reasons for the alarming decline in participation among children in the country.
Research by Allianz Australia shows that a third of Australian children aged between five and 15 have told their parents they want to stop playing extra-curricular sport, a result that will make for scary reading for the heads of the country’s major codes.
The survey, which covered more than 1,000 families across the country, found that 54 percent of parents said time commitments were the reason their children wanted to stop participating, and 46 percent attributed it to the cost of playing.
Additionally, 30 percent of respondents said their child had stopped playing non-school sports because they had lost interest and opted for other activities, such as playing video games, and 16 percent attributed competitiveness as a barrier to participation.
In another worrying development, half of all families with a disabled child reported that their children had dropped out of extracurricular sport between the ages of eight and 11.
However, the investigation was not all doom and gloom.
The survey found that 88 percent of parents believe that encouraging children when they play is the best way to keep them engaged, and a large majority said that sport boosts confidence and self-esteem (72 percent) and helps children learn to work as a team (67 percent).
The Olympic and Paralympic movements were cited as strong motivators for young Australians, with 81 per cent of respondents saying they inspire children to get involved in sport.
A shocking survey has revealed why Australia’s sporting fields look set to become increasingly empty in the future (file image)
The research showed that a staggering one-third of Australian children aged between five and 15 plan to drop out of non-school sporting activities.
Australian parents blame demands on their time and money for a shocking drop in children’s participation (file image)
The revelation that a third of young Australians want to quit sport could have dire implications not just for major leagues such as the AFL, NRL and cricket, but also for the country’s chances of making it to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as individual sports such as tennis and golf.
According to 2022 federal government figures, 47 per cent of Australians aged 14 and under participate in an organised non-school sporting activity at least once a week, and that rate is almost identical for girls and boys.
Children in this age range are more likely to play organized sports if they have a parent who plays sports or regularly participates in physical activity such as going to the gym, if they come from a high-income family, and if they have one or two siblings.
On the other hand, they are less likely to participate if they have three or more siblings, come from a low-income family, live in a remote or regional area, or speak a language other than English at home.
Swimming was the most popular sport among children up to 14 years of age, and ACT had the highest percentage of children who practiced it regularly.
