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Bowling even more alone: trends towards individualistic participation in sport

• Spencer Harris, College of Business, University of Colorado

• Mark Taylor, Sheffield Methods Institute, University of Sheffield

• Geoff Nichols, Management School, University of Sheffield

• Trends towards individual participation and away from team sports

• Explanations

• Policy implications

Trends in sports participation – data

Active people Survey

• Annual large N (160,000+) telephone survey

• Started in 2005/6, completed every year [replaced with ALS, 2016]

• Includes data on sports participation, club membership, coaching, competition, volunteering, sports preferences

• Analysis based APS1 (Oct 2005) to APS 8 (Sept 2014)

Focus of analysis

• Changes in participation in type of sport

• Changes in where participation takes place; club or informal setting

Trends - sports

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

APS1 2005-06

APS2 2007-08

APS3 2008-09

APS4 2009-10

APS5 2010-11

APS6 2011-12

APS7 2012-13

APS8 2013-14

Gym

Swimming

Athletics

Rec Cycling

Football

Fitness

Golf

Tennis

Cricket

Basketball

Rugby Union

Figure 1: Growth and decline in top 10 participation sports in England (at least once a week participation)

Trends - sports

Table 1: Growth and decline in top 10 participation sports in England(at least once a week participation)

FitnessAthleti

cs GymRec

CyclingRugby Union

Basketball Cricket Tennis Golf

Football

Swimming

APS1: 2005-06 2.48 3.33 8.99 4.14 0.46 0.39 0.48 1.12 2.18 4.97 8.04

APS8: 2013-14 4.21 4.96 9.78 4.84 0.42 0.31 0.39 0.89 1.67 4.40 6.16

Change2005/06

TO 2013/14

1.73

1.63

0.79

0.70

0.04

0.08

0.09

0.23

0.51

0.57

1.88

Clubs

2009 –

2015

Approx?

= =

Trends - sports

Year Team Individual

APS1:2005-06 6.82 24.70

APS2:2007-08 7.30 26.60

APS3:2008-09 7.08 26.60

APS4:2009-10 6.89 27.70

APS5:2010-11 6.80 29.20

APS6:2011-12 6.86 30.40

APS7:2012-13 6.00 30.60

APS8:2013-14 6.25 30.60

Difference2005/6to2013/14

¯0.57

­5.90

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

APS12005-06

APS22007-08

APS32008-09

APS42009-10

APS52010-11

APS62011-12

APS72012-13

APS82013-14

Individual

Team

Table 2: Growth and decline in participation in team sports and individual sports (at least once a week participation)

Figure 2: Growth and decline in participation in team sports and individual sports (at least once a week participation)

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Trends – context of participation

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

APS1 APS2 APS3 APS4 APS5 APS6 APS7 APS8

Informal

Playedinclub

Neither

Figure 4: Changes in formal and informal sports participation by weekly participants(participation 1x30 mins per week)

Trends - context

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

45.00

50.00

APS1 APS2 APS3 APS4 APS5 APS6 APS7 APS8

Informal

Playedinclub

Neither

Figure 5: Changes in formal and informal sports participation by frequent participants(participation 3x30 mins per week)

Active lives survey 2016 Active Lives survey – popular activities

Explanations

1. The ‘Post-Modern Condition’

collective identity and common interest is replaced by individualism and exacerbated by a concern with body maintenance and its surface representation. Identities that were once based on class and gender are now as likely to be more fluid

Commercial leisure can fill this need by marketing an identity – such as –as a ‘sporty, fit’ person.

Explanations

2. Continued decline in civic engagement (Putnam, 1995; 2000)

• a general fragmentation of collective activity reflects a diminished stock of ‘social capital’; described by Putnam as ‘connections among individuals, social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them’ (2000, p19).

• Putnam estimated that in the United States about 50% of the trend from collective to individual activity between 1972 and 1998 was accounted for by differences between generations as the young were disengaged from collective activity.

• So – ‘bowling alone’ as a prime example, and other sports

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Explanations

3. Reduction / fragmentation of available time • Less available time due to more time at paid work – for

some • perceived time famine - due to ever expanding and

competing opportunities • Household time squeeze - Since 1980’s - More women in paid

work of some kind – Increase in households with both partners working – now the norm

• Fragmentation of available time – due to irregular patterns of work, eg increase in service industries

• More Zero hours contracts – 2.5% of workers - Younger workers are far more likely to be given this type of contract

Explanations

4. Reduced Supply of Sports opportunities

• reductions to local authority budgets from 2010 mean:– Facilities closed

– Facilities more commercially oriented - so prices up – more swimming pool time used for lessons for children

– Hence fall in swimming participation – although it can be done individually and at flexible times

• Reduced number of sports clubs – 2002 –2009 - 2015, but hard to say exactly how many, because of different methods of estimation

A reduction in the number of sports clubs in England?

• 3 Estimates

1. 2002 - 106,423 (Taylor, et al, 2003)

2. 2009 – 85,000 (Taylor et al, 2009)

3. 2015 - 62,398 (Ecorys, for SE, 2015)

• But: estimates not consistent as

• 1. By phone interview with NGBs, includes estimate of unaffiliated clubs and broader range of NGBs

• 2. By phone interview with NGBs, excludes unaffiliated – and fewer NGBs in the sample

• 3. e mail and phone to NGBs, fewer NGBs, as only those recognized by SE.

• Possibly - fewer clubs are getting bigger? See earlier slide for clubs in key sports.

Policy implications

• NGBs - go with the flow – offer more flexible forms of sports to fit with changed demand –but maybe linked to traditional clubs to allow a movement between the two.

• SE / government – promote and support the new forms or sport.

• Eg. Parkruns – allow balance of flexible and cheap participation – with a group experience. Ideal activity to match changed demand

Thanks for listening – questions / discussion

• Ideas developed in a journal paper:

• Harris, S. Nichols, G. and Taylor, M. Bowling Even More Alone: trends towardindividual and informal participation in sport. European Sport Management Quarterly http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2017.1282971.