Why Are Sports Participation Rates Low Among Ethnic Minorities?

Most people tend to think about why the rates low but don't consider looking at effective solutions that can be emulated from one group to another. But like women, girls and people with disabilities ethnic minorities are also a group which tends to have lower sports participation rates. According to National Statistics (2007) sports among ethnic minority groups is only 40% compared with the national average which is 46%. There is even a stronger correlation between gender and participation as the issue of female involvement of sport is also prevalent in minority groups.  The survey found that Black, Caribbean, Black African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi females are least likely to participate with 32% compared to national average of 39%. Whereas Indian, Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani men were less likely to participate in sport than men generally.  ‘Black Other’ actually has a slightly higher participation rates than the national average. The concerns from participating in sport for ethic minorities often relate to facilities, cost, time/man power, distribution of information, fear of discrimination and language barriers.

Due to there being many members of ethic communities who come from a low socio-economic background it makes it more likely that they live in a deprived area. As a result the possibility of experiencing inadequate standards of sports facilities within the area. When a facility does not have a lot of quality equipment to use this takes away from the experience that you are seeking and therefore you may not want to go back.  This could be enough to put anyone off playing regular sport but due to factors stated earlier the chances are higher for people from ethnic populations. The improvement of these facilities is in the control of local councils and governing bodies who manage the distribution of funding facilities.

However, those involved in the day-to-day running of the operational aspect within the facilities should put in place measures which will maintain a good standard for people. Another factor that may deter someone from an ethnic group in taking part in sport is the lack of access to sports specialist facilities may be restricted because of cost and the quality of the delivery of sports may be of low quality due to inexperienced and under trained staff. Any organisation or facility should always seek to keep the skills of their work force up to date for a better experience for people living within their area. When it comes to the provision of facilities a lot of places such as sports clubs, leisure centres and sports centres have already been developed and improved in London through investment.

How ever, spectacular a facility may look in the end the cost of playing sport will be the main aspect to influence the opportunity of many individuals from an ethnic group. If you are a young person from an ethnic minority population and want to join a Tennis Club then membership fees can be extremely high. This blog would suggest introducing occasional special offers like discount memberships and free lessons and use of facilities to attract this group. The main point is to make it as affordable as possible as people will be more willing to find out incentives that could be financially beneficial to them.

For reasons that could be cultural, religious or due to family responsibilities someone from an ethnic group may find it more difficult to make time to participate in sports. This is even more of a struggle if you are from an environment where sport and physical activity is not viewed as essential. Therefore it is vital to put on sports activities at times that accommodating to the availability of certain groups. It might also help to have an area for the provision of children or a place where other family members can comfortably sit. It may also be a good idea to assist individuals who need the human resources to organise sports activities by offering skilled volunteers and trained sports professionals to help out. The role may be something minimal as giving advice and information. This may be more effective if the responsibility is given to persons who actually have an ethnic background or affiliation and can take the role as a mediator. Making an effort to reach out to people from the ethnic minority can make the difference in someone choosing to play more sport.

The distribution of information is vital in engaging ethnic minority groups. Information needs to be easily accessed and communicated in a way that is relevant to the individual and takes their understanding into account. This will also make the obstacle of language barriers easier as in most multi-cultural areas there will be difficulties in integrating some groups into the mainstream and consequently, some may feel excluded as they have little understanding. Furthermore, this could lead to feeling discriminated against and uncomfortable. Thus individuals need to be made to feel welcomed and encouraged when they express an interest in taking part.

One key point to take away from this is that  Black Other has the highest participation (60%) then any other group. The questions that need to be asked from this point on is what are the approaches that have significantly contributed to this groups high rate of sports participation? How could this approach be manipulated and then applied to other groups? Which of these approaches are more effective to which groups and why/not? What are the other strategies and approaches that could be used?

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How To Engage Parents In Your Sport & Physical Activity Message...

As a Sport Activity Leader encouraging children to maintain an active lifestyle is vital. Equally it is best to get the parents on board as with more understanding from home the higher the chances of continuing activities. Fortunately, many parents are very clued up about their children's sport or physical activity. At the same time there are those who have little or no understanding. But how can these parents give guidance on health benefits of sport to your pupils if they don't know this information themselves? 

Since not everyone is always familiar with certain terminologies used in reference to health and physical activity; to engage parents you should also provide generic information about your sport, physical activity and its benefits that it entails. A lot of parents may prefer someone who knows what they are talking about to directly speak to their child. However, this is no reason at all that you cannot involve the parents in the process of communicating your message beyond the sports hall or wherever the sessions are taking place. Admittedly, some parents may see it as your job to this but others will appreciate the information you make available. What ever the case it is good practice.

You can provide a handout after or before each lesson which outlines the following:

(A) Generic term and definition of the activity, technique and/or skill that was performed or practiced in the session.

(B) Brief explanation of why/how/when this particular activity, skill and/or technique is applied.

(C) What are the benefits of the practicing the particular activity, skill and/or technique.

(D) How the parent can help their child practice it with small adaptations.

(E) What social, psychological, physical and technical skills will their child learn?

(F) How will their child's health and fitness improve as a result? 

(G) A personal account of their child's development in the sport or physical activity

(F) Easy and practical ways their child can be supported.

Some of the above can also be constructed as Key Learning points. Alternatively, you could provide a small document which demonstrates the programmes which their child will be taking participating in in the long term. This will give parents a good indication of what is to come ahead and how it relates to their child's health benefits. If you do not have the resources for the latter you could clearly place the information on a notice board for everyone to see. When writing the information avoid using jargon and write it in a way where anyone is able to pick the piece of information up and understand it.

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How To Set Attainable Goals in Team Sports....

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Encouraging a group of participants/players of setting their own goals within the team or for an individual is a great way of increasing motivation, keeping focus on the task in hand and building a sense of unity. The most important aspect of goal setting is that they are realistic and achievable otherwise you risk the reverse effect. When setting goals as a team, class or group it is vital that you take every one's input into consideration. This important because this will boost commitment and dedication as individuals will feel they have an affiliation to the goals and a shared purpose.

Additionally, giving out responsibility shows you value their views. This blog would suggest that you sit down together as a group to establish the goals. If you are coach you may already have goals you have established for the team, now it is the time to maybe allow the team itself to come up with some goals. The coach can be involved in some aspects of goal setting such as process goals to provide technical information.

Here are three key themes to think about when setting goals.

1. Planning - This the period of constructing the goals and discussing the possible strategies to use in order to reach the goals. The goals can be decided within of a training session. Alternatively they could be set through workshops/presentations in a controlled environment. Also, meetings where discussions are held are advisable. One of your goals may be to improve team work ethic. In this case you may consider a pre-match routine which everyone gets involved in. It may be something simple as one/different individual leading the warm-up each week whom the rest of the group follow. The planning period is the key part of the participant/player's mental development since they are learning how to set realistic goals in the future. Avoid emphasising outcome goals especially for kids and those low on confidence. Process goals are more suitable for the latter. 

2. Meeting - The meeting period is about confirming the deadline/dates for meeting specific goals. It could be when a certain movement/routine has to be perfected. You can keep a record of deadlines team and individual goals by using Log Books and Diaries. Combine short term and long term goals. Short term goals because it will help to give an immediate focus to the overall goals. Set long term goals as this is likely to link to the main incentive which can maximise effort.  

3. Evaluation -  The Evaluation period is meeting as a team and individuals to assess progress and make adjustments to team and individual goals. Question such as: How are we doing? What needs to be changed? Are there any problems? What needs o improve? This can be after each session. If you are a more organised team/club then organise specific dates which are dedicated to collectively evaluating the goals.

Appropriate goal setting will reduce the possibility of anxiety when the goal is not achieved. Overall goal setting is important because it gives the participants/players perceived sense of control and self-confidence when they have been achieved. Another important thing to remember is to make the progress visable to the participants and players.

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How To Encourage Pupils in London Secondary Schools to do more Sports?

It was one of the last Government's top priorities to ensure pupils get at least 2 hours of physical activity a week. Now only 6% of pupils actually meet this target. In 2008 the Department for Children, Schools and Families reported that 97% of 11 year old Primary School Children participated in at least two hours of high quality PE and out of hours school sports in a typical week. This figure was pretty much steady from Year 1. However, once pupils have reached Secondary School this figure gradually decreases. This is all a too familiar trend. On a national level, in 2008 by the time the pupil is in Year 7 it is at 95%. Now it has reduced to 90%. Currently in London, it is at 87% for pupils aged 12 years. Thus over the last two years there has been a steady decline in physical activity and the trend certainly seems worse in the capital.

Less than 6% of pupils take part in 2 hours of physical activity in Hackney with Chelsea and Kensington being one of the few with 100% participation. One of the main themes quoted in being a determinant in enthusiasm for extra physical activity for pupils in London's Secondary schools is school competition. In 2010 the then Children's Minister Mr. Tim Loughton stated “Young people's involvement in competitive sport remains disappointingly low. We aim to spark a competitive school sport revolution by giving thousands of young people the chance to compete at school sport competitions in 2012.” He is right in pointing out the need for more competition as this is once of the key incentives for pupils.

London Evening Standard

Nevertheless, this revolution should begin now and not just because of the 2012 Olympics. There is a need for more regular inter and intra competitions in and between schools. this has been acknowledged for a while now. This set up for this must be well structured, organised and comprehensive. Some Primary Schools are already working together to share the extra curricular activities to make them available to pupils from another school. Partnerships like these should be considered more among Secondary Schools because. Primary Schools who do this may be really on to something. It could be the catalyst for the beginning of  inter school competitions. More importantly, an integrative approach to school competition as a whole could be a great way to encourage pupils to do more than 2 hours of physical activity a week.

Additionally it must also go beyond competition in school. Young people in our programmes often want fresh challenges. The chance of playing in tournaments around different boroughs is a very attractive proposition to pupils because it is seen as a bigger opportunity to recognised and rewarded for their achievements. After all to reinforce positive behaviour  there often has to be some kind of reward. Pupils need to be shown that you do not need to be a potential talented athlete to perform or compete in major events. And for those may be talented provide direction and a pathway by working with sports organisations. There must be a larger appeal to pupils in London than taking part in school physical activity week in week out just for the sake of it. No wonder pupils feel disillusioned with sports and physical activity. By the time pupils reach the age of 12 this is not enough and hence the crave for a new kind of excitement is heightened. Young people become more competitive and less impressionable than they were at primary school.

The introduction of niche sports is the way forward. The wider choice and range of sports available to pupils the more interest and commitment. We cannot stress this enough. Pupils are often motivated by new opportunities. So by offering a new experience in a sport that they have perhaps only seen on TV and played in the Americas or Asia you are further engaging their imagination. You must find out what it is they want

In relation engagement, which we have discussed in one of our previous posts, in order to encourage London pupils to do more sports the people or the person directly delivering these sports should be someone they can relate to. Many of the pupils who are not getting two hours of physical activity come from poorer boroughs. Therefore it is even more important that those supervising the activities are potential role models who come from a similar back ground. These individuals are also more likely to communicate to the pupils at a level they are responsive to and motivates their participation further.

Further participation is also about creating a safe environment. Creating a safe environment for pupils is of course constantly drilled into coaches and I'm sure for teachers too. Now it may be safe. But you also need to consider if the pupils actually feel that the surrounding area is safe. Obviously if they feel that they could be a potential target or if they are already a victim of bullying it is less likely that they are willing to stay in an environment for an extra hour to play sports. This problem must be addressed, especially within inner-city secondary schools.  

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Increase Your Team Work (Ethic) 

We are all aware that if you want to work in a functional and productive environment a positive team work ethic can make it half easier.

The video below demonstrates fantastic ideas of Team Work activities that can be used to build a better team. The even better thing about it is that it can be used by people of different ages and backgrounds. You can use it as part of Staff Training, ice breakers or for a junior sports team in school, clubs etc. 


The main tip to take away from this video is that fun and challenging activities which require the support of peers can help develop a bond.

 Free Icebreakers, Team Building & Training Fun

After you have watched the video; can this be beneficial to you if you work in an environment where the ability to carry out your task effectively may depend on another individual? The answer is of course yes. You may not have the equipment but you could always improvise.


What do you think of the video? Would you try it out at any capacity? I thought it was quite fun and clever..  

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