This thesis explores the relationship between sports, academics, and youth development, in 5th- 9th grade boys and girls from low-income families. This exploration includes an analysis of a non-profit organization called “Rainier Athletes.” This program underwrites the cost of organized sports for low-income children with the belief that sports help empower students so that they make positive choices inside the classroom and in the future. Rainier Athletes uses a token economy design in the classroom where students earn points by fulfilling academic expectations and displaying positive behavior. Researchers concluded that sports participation had a beneficial effect on academic achievement in middle school and junior high school. Implementing sports at an early age is beneficial because middle childhood is viewed as an essential developmental and transitional period for children and experiences at this time impact children’s behavior during adolescence. The literature also suggested that the benefits of sports participation may be most important for children from low-income families because organized sports provide structure and help reduce risk factors associated with living in poverty. Based on the research, Rainier Athletes demonstrates the potential to foster the development of at-risk students by helping the students gain useful skills and display positive social behaviors. The program utilizes an effective design and has built a foundation to benefit youth development.

Swedish wrestling faces an issue, in that participation seems to decrease after the age of 9. The main purpose of this study is to examine factors that motivate, gives joy and supports adolescents to continue wrestling, with the aim of providing insights that can be useful when striving to retain participant numbers among young wrestlers. The study employs a quantitative method, using a survey to collect empirical data from active wrestlers aged 13-16. The survey yielded 82 responses, which were analyzed through the use of SPSS. The results indicate that friendship, a sense of community, and a desire to perform well during practice sessions and competitions are the most prominent factors listed by the respondents of the study. Furthermore, the study did not find any big differences in the results depending on age or gender. Recommendations for future research include studying wrestlers who are no longer active and investigating whether there is a relationship between their decision to quit and a lack of the produced factors identified within this thesis

Föreningsidrott är en stor del av många barns liv och idrottsledarna är en viktig del inom föreningsidrotten. Idrottsledare har betydelse för barns hälsa, såväl den fysiska som den psykiska och sociala hälsan. Det finns idag negativa hälsotrender hos barn när det gäller till exempel övervikt, stillasittande och psykisk ohälsa. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur ledare för barnidrottslag upplever att de kan påverka sina utövares hälsa. Studien syftar även till att söka förståelse för hur en ledare inom föreningsidrotten genom sitt bemötande och agerande kan skapa en hälsofrämjande miljö för barn. Detta kan i sin tur ligga till grund för det fortsatta hälsofrämjande arbetet inom idrottsrörelsen. Metoden som användes vid datainsamlingen var individuella kvalitativa intervjuer. Det genomfördes tio intervjuer med ledare i lagidrotter för barn i tio till tolvårsåldern. Resultatet av studien visade att idrottsledarna upplevde att de hade möjlighet att påverka barnens hälsa, såväl den fysiska som den psykiska och sociala hälsan. De områden som idrottsledarna upplevde som påverkningsbara var bland annat fysisk aktivitet, kost och sömn, delaktighet och inflytande, självförtroende och självkänsla, krav och stress, motivation, kommunikation och klimat. Det framkom även att idrottsledare bör föregå med gott exempel, vara ett socialt stöd samt se och bekräfta alla barn för att gynna barnens hälsa. Utifrån resultatets användbarhet i folkhälsopedagogiska sammanhang drogs slutsatsen att det krävs ökad förståelse för hur en idrottsledare har möjlighet att påverka barns hälsoutveckling för att stärka barnens hälsa och vända de negativa hälsotrenderna. / Organized sports are a main part of many children's lives and sport leaders are an important part of organized sports. Coachesare important for children's health,physical as well as mental and social health. Today, there are negative health trends amongchildren, for example, obesity, sedentaryand mental illness. The purpose of thisstudy was to examine how theleaders of children’s sports teams experience that they caninfluence their practitioner’shealth. The study also aims toseek an understanding of how a leader in organized sports through attitude and behavior can create a healthy environmentfor children. This may serve asthe basis for future healthpromotion within the sports movement. The method used for data collection wasindividual interviews. Teninterviews with leaders in teamsports for children of ten totwelve years old were conducted. Theresult of thestudy showed that sports leadersfelt that they had the possibility toinfluence children's health, physicalas well as mental and social health.The sports leaders experienced that theycould influence physical activity, diet and sleep,participation and empowerment, confidence and self esteem,demands and stress, motivation, communication and the atmosphere. The result also showed that sportsleaders should lead by example,be a social support and acknowledge all children to benefit children's health. Based on the result's usefulnessin public health context,the conclusion wasthat greater understanding of howsports leaders can influence children's health development to enhance children's health and reverse the negative health trends.

Pupils, and most of all girls, drop out of organized sports in the ages 13-18. The purpose of this survey was to study which motives girls had to proceed in sports together with differences between certain groups. This study was based on a survey which included 86 responses from girls active in sports in 10 different compounds. The results showed that the most frequent motives to do sports were to have fun and to feel well. Differences showed were that the ones who trained more often and the ones who practiced more than one sport found that to work hard was an important motive, compared to the other groups. The ones that trained more often also found that to have fun was an important motive in difference to the group which trained in less extent. The organizational factors that could influence on the girls’ exercise were the coaches’ motivational techniques and the athletes’ experiences of competition in a negative way.

Med anledning av forskning som visat att dålig fysisk form i barn- och ungdomen är förknippat med sämre hälsa i vuxen ålder, var denna studies syfte att kartlägga Skellefteå ungdomars relation till föreningsidrott. En enkät delades ut till slupmässigt valda skolor och bestod av frågor rörande när och isåfall varför de väljer att sluta med föreningsidrott, samt vad det är som gör att de som fortsätter med föreningsidrott? Data från 196 deltagare analyserades statistiskt. Resultaten visade att ungefär 55 procent av deltagarna slutat med idrott och medeåldern för avhopp var 14 år. De tre vanligaste anledningarna till avhopp var “Jag tappade motivation”, “Annan aktivitet/intresse tog min tid” och “Tråkiga träningar”. De tre vanligaste anledningarna till fortsättning var “Vilja att utvecklas”, “Socialt umgänge” och “Hälsosamt”. Studien lyfter fram orsaker som ungdomarna angett till att antingen fortsätta eller sluta med sin idrott, samt att dessa orsaker diskuterats i ljuset av behovsteori, medellen för känsla av samhörighet samt Self-Determination Theory. Den synliggör även hur aktivitetsnivån ser ut bland Skellefteås ungdomar, och att den enligt rekommendationerna är alldeles för låg. / Previous research has shown that poor physical shape in childhood and adolescence is associated with inferior health in adulthood. The aim of this study was to study adolescents in Skellefteå and their relationship to organized sports. A questionnaire was distributed to randomly selected schools with questions regarding when, and in that case why, they choose to quit with organized sports and why some choose to continue with organized sports? Data from 196 participants was subject to statistical analyses. The results showed that about 55 percent of the participants had quit organized sports and the mean age of quitting was 14. The three most frequent reasons for quitting were ”I lost my motivation”, ”Another activity/interest took up my time” and ”Boring practices”. The three most frequent reasons to why they continue were ”Will to develop”, ”Socializing/social company” and ”Healthy”. The study highlights the adolescences motives for quitting and continuing with organized sports respectively. The results are framed and discussed in relation to the theoretical frameworks of needs theory, the model for Sence of Coherence and Self-Determination Theory. The potential effects of low physical activity level are also discussed.

The purpose of the study was to increase knowledge about youth football in relation to reasons for beginning to participate, and reasons behind early drop-out. Another purpose of the study was to investigate potential preventive methods in order to counterwork drop-out rates among boys. A district association of Swedish football, Västerbottens Fotbollförbund, was keen to discover these reasons and preventive methods in order to develop more interest throughout their football-district and prevent early drop-out rates among boys. The study was designed using a questionnaire in which 27 boys aged13-17 in Skellefteå municipality answered a questionnaire with open-ended questions regarding the purpose of the study. The results indicate that the opportunity to participate in more than one sport is problematic and that the boys valued belonging and team spirit. Furthermore, the boys proposedcreating sustainable opportunities to participate in more than one sport and to focus more on having fun during practice in order to counter-work drop-out rates. A conclusion drawn from the results of the study is that the different sports within Skellefteå municipality are in need of better cooperation. Another conclusion is that the boys expressed a desire for more and different levels of ambition to reduce drop-out rates. Creating different prioritization within the different levels of ambition was alsosuggested by the boys themselves. For example, to prioritize belonging and having fun in clubs with lower levels of ambition. To counterwork early drop-out rates there needs to be conditions making it possible to participate in more than one sport. Furthermore, clubs from different sports in the municipality are proposed to discuss the topic of drop-out and preventive measures suggested by the boys in the study.

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The aim of this study was to better understand how the supportive role from coaches and engagement from parents is associated the behavioral and psychological outcomes for adolescents participating in organized sports. Behavioral adjustments were defined as youth delinquency and psychological outcomes as depressive symptoms and subjective well-being. The data used in this study were from the Youth and Sports (YeS) project, of which an analytical sample of N=421 7th graders participating in organized sports was selected. Results from a hierarchical regression analysis showed that 7.5% of parental engagement and coach support explained variance in adolescents’ subjective well-being and 3.4% explained depressive symptoms. The same pattern was not found in delinquent behavior, however, we did find an interaction effect, where coach support moderates the link between parents’ engagement and delinquency. Therefore, results suggest that adolescents participating in organized sports with engaged parents and support from their coach displayed better behavioral and psychological adjustments in adolescence. / Syftet med denna studie var att bättre förstå hur en stödjande roll från tränare och engagemang från föräldrar är associerade med beteendemässiga och psykologiska faktorer för ungdomar som deltar i organiserad idrott. Beteendemässig faktor definierades som ungdomsbrottslighet och psykologiska faktorer som depressiva symtom och subjektivt välbefinnande. Datan som användes i denna studie var från projektet Youth and Sports (YeS), av vilket ett analytiskt urval av N=421 i årskurs 7 som deltar i organiserad idrott valdes ut. Resultatet från en hierarkisk regressionsanalys visade att 7,5 % av föräldrarnas engagemang och stöd från coachen förklarade variationer i ungdomarnas subjektiva välbefinnande och 3,4 % förklarade depressiva symtom. Samma mönster hittades inte i brottsligt beteende, men vi hittade en interaktionseffekt, där stöd från coachen modererar kopplingen mellan föräldrars engagemang och brottslighet. Därför tyder resultaten på att ungdomar som deltar i organiserad idrott med engagerade föräldrar och stöd från sin tränare har den mest fördelaktiga effekten på beteendemässiga och psykologiska anpassningar i tonåren.

Syftet med studien var att utforska unga vuxnas uppfattningar om varför de började föreningsidrotta och varför de valde att hoppa av från föreningsidrotten. Vidare strävades utforska om det fanns några likheter eller kontraster mellan hur individer från en storstad kontra en tätort i Sverige upplever motiven bakom ingång till och avhopp från föreningsidrotten. Sex unga män mellan åldrarna 18-30 rekryterades utifrån en målstyrd, icke-sannolikhetsbaserad urvalsmetod. Kvalitativa, semi-strukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med deltagarna för att motta beskrivningar om deras upplevelser kring motiven bakom ingång till/avhopp från föreningsidrotten. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys användes för att analysera och tematisera insamlad data för att kunna besvara på de formulerade forskningsfrågorna. Resultaten är i linje med tidigare forskning som visat att avhopp från föreningsidrotten är ett kombinerat resultat av yttre såväl som inre faktorer. Centrala teman kring motiv bakom ingång till föreningsidrott var gruppinflytande, intresse för idrott/idrotter, och bristande utbud av föreningsidrotter i närområdet. Kring motiv bakom avhopp från föreningsidrott framkom missnöje med tränare, andra prioriteringar, bristande samhörighet, andra intressen, för långa distanser till idrottsföreningar, idrottsskada och upplevd kompetensbrist som centrala teman. / The purpose of the study was to investigate young adults’ perceptions of why they started participating in organized sports, and why they chose to drop-out from organized sports. Additionally, the study sought to explore whether there were any similarities or contrasts between how individuals from a large city versus an urban area in Sweden experienced the motives behind entering and leaving organized sports. Six young men between the ages 18-30 were recruited based on a goal-oriented, non-probability sample method. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were performed with the participants to receive descriptions of their experiences of their motives behind entering and leaving organized sports. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze and thematize collected data in order to answer the formulated research questions. The results are in line with prior research which suggest that drop-out from organized sports is a combined result of external as well as internal factors. Central themes connected to the motives behind entrance into organized sports was group influence, interest in sports/sports, and lack of sportclubs in the local area. Connected to the motives behind drop-out from organized sports, dissatisfaction with the coach/coaches, other priorities, lack of fellowship, other interests, too long distances to sportclubs, sport injuries, and lack of perceived competence arose as central themes.