What the Sport Can Offer
When describing the reasons for, and particularly against having a desire to progress along the recognised sporting pathway, participants often referenced opportunities which the sport could, or, could not offer them. In drawing conclusions as to what the sport can in fact ‘offer’, participants made mention of the “status” of the sport. Some eluded to this status on a national or international scale, while others made mention of the sports position locally.
“Well, it’s not a very common sport…Lack of awareness…Yeah, a lot of people don’t talk about it…I think everybody knows about [other sport], we all know about what to do and stuff, but I didn’t hear of the [sport] scene until like year nine” – FSM2, Gwent
Participants were also seemingly reluctant to commit to a sport or progression through a sporting pathway without certainty of their future or knowing what prospects the sport could offer. For example, when commenting on the possibility of moving through the pathway to take part in a regional team, one participant stated:
“It’s very, very far, and unless I thought that I had like a massive future in it, I don’t think I would. I think especially for me, obviously when you get to regional centres and age groups, you have to be committed because that is your main sport…So, the travel is going to be quite a stretch, if you’re not one hundred percent committed to it” – FSM1, Mid Wales
A lack of perceived career opportunities and the uncertainty of their future in the sport seemingly also contributed to participants current underlying motivations for their participation in the sport. Many participants noted their taking part in particular sport(s) was “only for fun” or as “something to do” and had an absence of any aspirations to take their sporting journey on the pathway any further. Others stated that their interest and participation in particular sport(s) were for pure academic purposes, for example, to obtain a GCSE.
Several participants also stated their intentions of playing a particular sport(s) was to facilitate their involvement and progression in another. When then questioned about their desire to progress along the pathway, these participants articulated how they would quit the sport and their involvement in the pathway once it had served its purpose of developing them [physically] for their other, priority sport.
“I mean, I feel like eventually the angle would be to drop [sport] and move into [priority sport], as [sport] is a way of helping me with [priority sport]” – FSM1, South-West
Pathway Perceptions
Perceptions – either accurate or inaccurate – can also present themselves as a barrier to maintaining within and progression along a recognised sporting pathway. Most participants in one way or another spoke of perceived challenges they’d face further along the pathway. For example, one participant spoke of the commitments and travel required if they were to progress.
“I’d drive there, probably but like, for me, it’s really, really far. So, for me to drive there, weekly, it would be quite a lot of commitment and it would mean that you’d have to give most of your time to [sport] because, by the time you’ve gone, it’s about two hours, if you’re playing for the regional one, probably, more than that” – FSM1, Mid Wales
The perceived time commitments needed further along sporting pathways were commonly cited. Several participants stated the time commitments would simply be “too much”, even for initial steps along the pathway. Others were of the impression that the time commitments required for some sports would “scare” those less familiar with the sport and the pathway. Pathways and perceived time commitments were also compared between sports:
“If you’re doing [sport] like once a week, then it’s like an hour’s training session…and you see that you have to be meeting like twenty-six hours a week [in another sport], that’s like, it’s like over a day of just consistently participating, isn’t it? That’s like massive” – FSM1, South-West
Participants also spoke of the impact that these perceived time commitments would have on them. While some simply stated that they wouldn’t “want to [participate] 15 hours a week”, others were more concerned with the growing difficulty of balancing other commitments such as homework and socialising. Some however referenced the physical impact that would have on them:
“All those hours you have to do would definitely be difficult…I reckon the like physical effect because, you know, if you’re doing it, then you’re getting healthier and like fitter but then also you’d have to be exhausted and I’m not good at being exhausted” – FSM1, Mid Wales
Others’ reservations were more centred around their perceptions as to whether they would enjoy the experience itself as they progressed along the pathway. For example, several participants seemed to fear that higher ends of the pathway would be “too intense”.
“I think it would be taken too seriously, to be honest. I think it would be too intense and you’d be too worried about the competition…that’s the thing, when a sport gets to the point where it’s like really intense, like that’s when…I used to do [sport] and it was getting to the point where it was really intense and I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore, and I was pushed like too much, to where I just didn’t, I just didn’t like it” – FSM4, Central South
Not all pathway perceptions were focused on the future however, as some were centred around the here and now. For example, some participants perceived they were simply “too young” to progress from a regional to a national level programme. Others contemplated up and coming trails, and the impression that if they were unsuccessful, they would have to wait a full calendar year before having a similar opportunity again. Many participants also referenced the difference in standards that would need to be breached to progress along the pathway.
“So, it’s a bit harder now because, once you finished [early pathway stage] and you get into [next pathway stage], you have to go straight to under sixteen and eighteens, which is quite difficult, actually” – FSM1, South-West
Pathway Awareness
A portion of the interviewees claimed to have a knowledge of the pathway, and moreover, were “not surprised”by any of the steps or details within the pathway that was revealed to them. Several participants spoke from first-hand experience, while others referenced the pathways of other sports, and being under the impression that they would be the same.
However, many confessed to having a lack of awareness of the pathway, including “not knowing where good performances could take me”. Others were taken by surprise at specific stages of the pathway itself, displaying a lack of awareness of regional and national levels of the pathway(s). One participant was even unaware of a more local opportunity available to them than the one they had been taking:
“I don’t see anything about that [local club]. I didn’t know this existed, so like that could be an opportunity to go to that and it’s a lot closer than the, the academy in [other location]” – FSM2, North Wales
One participant spoke of the specific performance standards necessary, explaining that they were unsure of what was required to make the next step. In contrast, others spoke of being set specific tasks to improve on to enable the attainment of the next level of the pathway.
“In the pathway thing, we were doing like these sheets full of like everything we need to work on throughout the winter because it’s the training season, before the race season and we’d like write down, I don’t know like specifically, there’s like multiple things but, ‘really improve my [skill]” – FSM2, North Wales
Others however displayed their lack of awareness through confessing their surprise at where they currently were in the pathway, and their perception that there would be additional steps needed to be take:
“I thought there’d be a bigger step between the fourth one and the fifth one [referencing the visual of a specific sport’s pathway]. I thought there would be something bigger because on this, there’s only three more steps to get and I feel like all of us are quite close to the third one” – FSM1, Central South
However, it wasn’t merely the steps along the recognised sporting pathway that some had a lack of awareness of, but the details within those steps. For example, although many knew about an early stage of a sport’s pathway, many were also unaware that it was an open programme free from trials. In fact, several of the participants were under the impression that selection for the programme would be based on performance and scouting. Others were unclear how to even join a local club, not realising that you could simply “turn up and play”.
The lack of awareness was often attributed to the absence of an informed individual sharing the information with the participant. For example:
“I just kept going and actually no one’s really sat down and told me kind of where I’m at, what that options are, or where I could go” – FSM1, Mid Wales
Meanwhile, others were quick to cite the source of their information. Most who referenced the source of their knowledge referenced coaches, whilst others sought information from perceived to be ‘well-informed’ parents who had often themselves been participants within the sport or navigated their way through the pathway. Some spoke of PE teachers and “school sport liaison officers” as useful sources of information. Others had watched their siblings move through the pathway, and so were familiar with the steps needed to be taken. Role models, or elder participants within the same club were also a source of information for some. Many participants also spoke of going directly to the national governing body website to obtain information, though some confessed to preferring the personal touch. Some participants spoke of the details of the pathway and the knowledge they had obtained via hearsay:
“I think even this is hard [referencing a specific point on the pathway]. I have a friend and he’s told me that it’s not very fun….it is very physically challenging and like it hurts a lot” – FSM1, Mid Wales
Although some claimed to have ‘first-hand knowledge’ of the pathway, they did acknowledge that to someone outside of the sport or to those who are less familiar, the pathway structure could become challenging to understand.
“I think if you’re not a [participant], this all looks a bit confusing. Because I think that one, thirty-two hours, you know, twenty-six hours, twenty-five hours, to a lot of people, that means ‘lengths’” – FSM1, South-West
Others confessed that they thought pathways were clearer in other sports. Comparing their perceptions of two different sports, one participant explained:
“Getting through the pathway, is a lot like, you don’t really know where you’re going with it. Because like, especially with [sport], you know like the levels, you know it’s school club, and county, regional, super league, national, and you kind of know the way it’s going…I feel like [other sport] isn’t as much as like you know, the final destination” – FSM1, South-West
Some also complained about the lack of publicity some aspects of the pathway have. For example, one complainant cited a specific stage within a specific sport’s pathway as “under publicised”, with others spoke of having a clear knowledge of the English pathway, but not the Welsh.
Lastly, some confessed to knowing little or nothing about specific pathways because they weren’t generally discussed or conversed about as much as other sports. For example:
“If there’s something for [sport], there’s probably something for [other sport]…But I just don’t think it’s a sport that’s talked about as much. Like I think, in school, most people will talk, even teachers, will talk about [sport], trials mostly and it’s not really focused on [other sport]” – FSM4, Central South
Participant Cited Solutions to ‘Unfavourable Perceptions’
Participants offered several potential solutions to counter ‘unfavourable perceptions’ they or others may have of the sport and / or sporting pathway. Firstly, and with regards to the trepidation some have around trails, some noted how making it clear when trials are and are not necessary would be a helpful first step, followed by details of what trails will practically look like. Participants also spoke of the need for social support during trails, citing friends and companionship most often.
Often spoken about were the need for a greater number of earlier opportunities in the sport, be they in a community or school setting. Participants often spoke of being more likely to adhere and progress in the sport if they had “started earlier” and suggested a greater number of taster sessions within schools and locally to garner interest and set the long-term foundations for participation in the sport.
Lastly, participants spoke of the source of information which would best help them adhere within the sport, and progress along its pathway. Many spoke of pathway ‘role models’ who would act as a source of both information and inspiration in how to progress. Others simply spoke of gaining confidence to know what the necessary steps were if “someone was there to guide me”. Participants also made mention of the need to have opportunities available constantly re-enforced to them, allowing them not to forget or pass up opportunities that may be available.
