A family affair? Exploring the influence of childhood sport socialisation on young adults’ leisure-sport careers in north-west England

Social class and the emergent organised sporting habits of primary-aged children

“…In a similar vein, Engström's (2008) four-decade longitudinal study examined how a complex of individual, social and environmental factors in youth influenced adherence to sport and physical activity in later life, including the ways in which differences in sporting experiences and cultural capital acquired were reflected in exercise habits in middle-age. In tune with the findings of Roberts and Brodie (1992), among others (see, for example, Haycock and Smith, 2012), Engström (2008) identified what he referred to as "sporting breadth" (and Roberts and Brodie, 1992, termed "wide sporting repertoires") as significantly related to later exercise habits, more so than either sports club membership or time spent engaged in activities during youth. Thus, in one way or another, Engström (2008), Jakobsson et al (2012), and Roberts and Brodie (1992) have all pointed to the significance of sporting 'breadth' (Engström, 2008) or 'repertoires' (Roberts and Brodie, 1992) for the kinds of sporting capital and habits/habitus that appear to predispose youngsters towards lifelong participation, as well as how these tend to be class-related if not class determined.…”

“…In short, not only was there relatively little involvement in leisure-time organised sport among children in this group, there was relatively little variety in the types of organised activities in which they participated. Thus, a feature of the under-class children's profiles was their restricted sporting repertoires: of the 14 youngsters in this group, none took part in the three or more activities that Roberts and Brodie (1992), among others (see Birchwood et al, 2008;Haycock and Smith, 2012;Smith, 2006), have identified as a potentially crucial threshold for generating the kinds of sporting habits and predispositions (what Bourdieu, 1977, 1984, and Elias, 2001, termed 'habitus') likely to sustain enduring participation in sport. The average number of organised sports each child engaged in during the week was less than one (0.9).…”

“…The attention now being paid to primary-aged children is an expression of the growing belief that the aforementioned sporting habits emerge and show signs of becoming established much earlier in life than the life-stage of youth (see Birchwood, Roberts and Pollock, 2008;Haycock and Smith, 2012;Wheeler, 2014).…”

The Olympic family? Young people, family practices and the London 2012 Olympic Games

“…This may result in co-participation with parents and children in family-based physical activity but equally it may not, depending on competing goals, pressures and imperatives, F in fostering participation among children and young people (Birchwood et al 2008;Haycock and Smith 2014;Wheeler 2011). These culture young people into sport and physical activity (Kay 2000;Wheeler 2011).…”

‘I don’t want my parents’ respect going down the drain’: South Asian, Muslim young women negotiating family and physical activity

“…The family has long been recognised as an important site for socialisation including the development of physical activity interests as part of leisure (Haycock & Smith, 2012;Rapoport & Rapoport, 1975;Wheeler, 2011). It is also acknowledged that gender, class, disability and ethnicity are important in influencing sports and physical activity involvement (Department for Culture Media & Sport, 2011).…”