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Losing Fun: Adolescents’ Experiences of Participating and Dropping Out of Team Sports
Halmstad University, School of Health and Welfare.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9644-9555
Halmstad University, School of Health and Welfare.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8354-3382
Halmstad University, School of Health and Welfare.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0990-4842
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2025 (English)In: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, ISSN 1612-197X, E-ISSN 1557-251XArticle in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

Participation in team sports during adolescence may be associated with improved physical, psychological, and social health. Nevertheless, an increasing number of adolescents are leaving team sports (e.g., hockey, soccer). Previous research suggests that dissatisfaction or negative experiences can increase the risk for dropout, yet qualitative studies into adolescents’ perspectives and the underlying mechanisms of dropout remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore adolescents’ experiences of participating and dropping out of team sports using constructivist grounded theory. 14 adolescents (5 males and 9 females) between 13 and 18 years old participated in interviews. A substantial grounded theory was created through coding and constant comparison. The results show that dropping out of team sports is a process of “Losing fun” involving two main mechanisms: perceiving changed demands and re-evaluating. When adolescents’ navigation of demands makes them perceive changed demands, it initiates a process of re-evaluating their sport. This involves questioning the meaningfulness of their sport and struggling with negative emotions. Finally, when team sports are evaluated as mainly associated with negative emotions and not meaningful, the adolescents regard it as not fun and drop out. The findings highlight considering adolescents’ perspectives on what makes sport meaningful and fun to promote sustained participation. These study results can be used to inform how team sport clubs foster meaningful and fun environments that support continued engagement. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
New York: Taylor & Francis, 2025.
Keywords [en]
Adolescents, dropout, grounded theory, hockey, soccer
National Category
Sport and Fitness Sciences
Research subject
Health Innovation, M4HP
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-56012DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2025.2563311ISI: 001585097600001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105017491532OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-56012DiVA, id: diva2:1958205
Note

The research project was supported by grants from the Swedish Football Association, Halland Football Association, Skåne Football Association, and Västergötland Football Association. The funding bodies were not involved in any parts of the study.

Available from: 2025-05-14 Created: 2025-05-14 Last updated: 2025-10-28Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Adolescents’ Team Sports: Risk Factors for Dropout, Participation Experiences, and the Importance of Fun
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Adolescents’ Team Sports: Risk Factors for Dropout, Participation Experiences, and the Importance of Fun
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This thesis aimed to explore factors that can influence the likelihood of adolescents’ participation and dropping out of team sports. Study I was a systematic review and meta-analysis of factors associated with dropout from team sports among adolescents. The results showed that constructs related to motivation and years of sports experience had the strongest relationship with adolescents’ team sports participation and dropout. Study II aimed to investigate how combinations of multiple demographic and motivational factors were associated with the risk of dropout in adolescent soccer players using a prospective design. The results indicated that older age, experiencing less autonomy support from the coach, less intrinsic motivation, being female, and a lower socioeconomic status were factors associated with an increased dropout risk. In Study III, the aim was to explore adolescents’ experiences of participating in and dropping out of team sports. A substantial grounded theory was created through coding and constant comparison. The theory ‘Losing fun’ illustrates adolescents’ experiences of participating and dropping out of team sports, which involved navigating demands, perceiving changed demands, and re-evaluating. When adolescents’ navigation of demands makes them perceive changed demands, it initiates a process of re- evaluating their sport. This involves questioning the meaningfulness of their sport and struggling with negative emotions. Finally, when team sports are evaluated as mainly associated with negative emotions and not meaningful anymore, adolescents regard it as not fun and are likely to drop out. Based on the fun integration theory, Study IV aimed to understand what makes soccer fun for adolescents in Sweden by investigating their prioritisation of the fun factors and determinants and comparing sub-groups in the sample (i.e., based on gender, age, perceived competence, and sports program type). The results showed that Trying Hard, Positive Team Dynamics, Positive Coaching, and Learning and Improving were the highest ranked concerning what makes soccer fun, irrespective of gender, age, perceived competence and sports program type. The study findings highlight that facilitating positive social experiences that promote feelings of effort and development is crucial to promoting fun and continued participation in soccer for most adolescents.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Halmstad: Halmstad University Press, 2025. p. 85
Series
Halmstad University Dissertations ; 133
Keywords
Adolescent, Dropout, Soccer, Sport participation, Team sport
National Category
Health Sciences
Research subject
Health Innovation, M4HP
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-56015 (URN)978-91-89587-85-4 (ISBN)978-91-89587-84-7 (ISBN)
Public defence
2025-06-13, S1022, Kristian IV:s väg 3, Halmstad, 10:00 (English)
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Supervisors
Available from: 2025-05-14 Created: 2025-05-14 Last updated: 2025-10-01Bibliographically approved

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Back, JennyCarlsson, Ing-MarieJohnson, UrbanSvedberg, PetraIvarsson, Andreas

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