SGMA is planning to conduct a new study that will detail and
analyze how young people make their decisions to participate in a
specific sport or activity, what motivates them to stay with it and
then why do they drop out or stop playing. The study will be called
Grassroots Sports Participation in America.
The association noted that according to the latest Sports & Fitness Participation Study that is conducted every year by the SGMA, nearly 60 million Americans participated in a sport for the very first time. Within that universe, more than 27 million of them were between six and 24 years of age.
“What motivates a young person to get involved in a particular sport or activity and, then what keeps him or her involved for a longer period of time is a question that I hear almost every day. Those two questions and many others will be answered by the findings of SGMAs Grassroots Sports Participation in America report,” said SGMA President Tom Cove. “The study will feature two separate components. The first will be for those organizations that are charged with growing their specific sport or activity. The second aspect will be devoted to how brands can utilize this very specific group of participants to grow their business and develop their market share. Those companies that contribute to the study will get access to information that will allow them to better understand how to establish brand share and keep it from these new participants.”
In Part One of the Grassroots Sports Participation in America, SGMA Research will examine the 'Love/Hate' relationship between certain sports and what motivates and influences someone to start playing a sport and stay with it. The study will then examine those factors that contribute to somebody dropping out of a sport and the yearly churn rate that each sport experiences. The other key components of this study include (1) tracking youth sport strength, (2) those who give it a try, (3) those athletes who become regular players, and (4) those people who consider any given activity their favorite sport.
In part two of the brand side of the study, some of the major topics include brand ratings, buying behavior, and consideration sets and likelihood to buy a specific brand over another.
The focal point of the study will be U.S. residents aged 6-24. Questions will be customized based on age. Grassroots Sports Participation in America will focus on team sports and individual activities. Once the field work is completed, topline data will be available within 15 days, while the full report will be available within 45 days. Trends and key demographic data for Grassroots Sports Participation in America will be derived from SGMAs Sports & Fitness Participation Study.
