Learning through sport - Play with Purpose

One of the recent projects I worked on was a youth sport retention initiative instigated by Mitch Hewitt PhD funded by Tennis Australia and supported by Pip Henderson . From a litetrature review on youth determinants of involvement in racquet sports and conversations with tennis coaches and youth involved in novel tennis for youth programs at identified tennis clubs, 8 recommendations were established and 16 program characteristics for sports wanting to attract and retain youth in sport were identified. The first project in youth sport retention I was involved in was an Australian football-AFL youth retention investigation several years ago. That research found there are two critical age ranges where disengagement with Australian football occurs; both correspond with changes in the level and associated 'intensity' of competition. Youth sport experiences and ‘drop-out’ patterns are informed by personal, social, and organisational (such as club) influences over time. The dec...