Students’ perceptions of the benefits, constraints and facilitators of school sport participation in the Ekurhuleni District of Gauteng Province, South Africa

Abstract

Despite that the physical, psychological, and social benefits of sport involvement among students are well documented, participation declines during adolescence, and patterns of engagement within the context of South African townships remain underexplored. Using a quantitative approach, this study examined perceptions among a sample of 328 students (Mage = 15.40, SD = 2.26 years old) of the benefits, challenges and facilitators of school sport participation in the Ekurhuleni District of Gauteng Province, South Africa. Overall, the most important physical and health benefits were: ‘Sport helps me feel healthier and stronger’ (M = 4.49, SD = 0.91), ‘Sport helps me feel more energetic’ (M = 4.45, SD = 0.90), ‘Sport helps me lose and/or maintain my body weight’ (M= 4.24, SD = 1.13), ‘Sport increases my level of physical fitness’ (M = 4.23, SD = 1.14) and ‘Sport improves my physical appearance (M = 4.17, SD = 1.03). ‘Inappropriate social environment’ emerged as the most prevalent interpersonal challenge reported by students (M = 2.56, SD = 1.48), while coach support was identified as the principal facilitator of sport participation. These findings have practical implications for the design and promotion of sports in South African schools.