Are team sports still relevant in the wellbeing revolution?
Over recent months there has, once again, been a wide range of sport to enjoy on our screens. First Wimbledon, then the men's European football finals, closely followed by the Tokyo Olympics and plenty of cricket. Now, as we drift towards the Autumn, the football season is underway and we still have the Paralympics to enjoy. The range of different sporting activities on display is epic and, if you're a sports fan, a welcome relief from the stresses and strains of global events over the last 18 months.
Whilst there are some new formats on display, like the new cricket format used in The Hundred this summer (1), and some new contenders in the mix, like skateboarding, climbing and BMX (2), the majority of what is on offer still encompasses tried and tested favourites. Traditional sports like football, cricket, tennis and golf still dominate our viewing time, albeit increasingly accompanied by a welcome growth in the women's games (3).
What is notable however is that, when we look across at the participation agenda, a very different picture is emerging. The tide has been turning in the UK since 2016, following publication of the government's Sporting Futures strategy (4). This strategy set a new direction for public funding in sport & physical activity to serve the public's interests and deliver against social outcomes.
“For more than a decade, the government’s policy on sport has been to get more people participating in sport and to win more Olympic and Paralympic medals. Both of these are valuable, and will remain part of this new strategy. However, what really matters is how sport benefits the public and the country.”
Since then, strategies across the sport and physical activity spectrum have realigned, and Sport England's 10-year Uniting the Movement strategy (5), launched earlier this year, is leading the way in the pivot towards using physical activity as a tool to support better health, improved wellbeing, a reduction in inequality and more connected communities. To achieve this it is now widely recognised that the appeal of an active lifestyle must be broad and relevant to people from all walks of life, regardless of background or ability.
With this aspiration comes a focus on participation opportunities which differ significantly from the sports we choose to watch on TV. Activities such as walking, cycling, running and home fitness are all growing in popularity (6) as they are increasingly recognised as widely accessible and as important contributors to health and wellbeing. Additionally, the government is investing £2bn over 5 years into active travel (7), whilst social prescribing (8) offers another funding avenue for active pursuits which can offer benefits to people with a range of potential vulnerabilities (9).
In contrast, team and racket sports have more generally seen declines, both in participation and in how they are valued by funders. This shift has of course been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, due to limited facility availability and an urgent need to cut emissions, however falling participation in more traditional sports is not new (10).
So why are traditional sports not thriving in this new landscape?
Well firstly, whilst these sports remain popular to watch, there is limited evidence for participation legacies from watching elite sport (11). Whilst watching elite performers may excite us, it may even lead us to imagine what it would be like to be a world-class athlete, there is a long distance to travel between being swept up in the thrill of a great game and putting on a pair of trainers to actually play. How likely we are to do that is, in fact, much more dependent on our immediate environment , influences and opportunities than it is by what we see on TV (12).
Another factor in people's reluctance to sign-up for traditional sports is that they can seem a little too...well, frankly, traditional. The perception is often of old-fashioned club structures, male-dominated committees led by an older generation in formal attire, with rule books in hand. And then of course there's the elitism issue; that sense of 'I won't be good enough' and 'those sorts of places are only for sporty people'. Whilst this isn't always the case, there are certainly still examples out there were this is a pretty accurate representation and enough stories of bad experiences from the few, to keep the many at home.
But let's not be hasty in throwing out the baby with the bath water
Before we give up hope, or consign sport to the back of the physical activity equipment cupboard, we think we should pause for thought. Traditional sports, team sports in particular, offer a wide range of benefits over and above their watch-ability which, when positioned well, can be accessible to anyone and everyone. Being part of a club or team can offer a sense of belonging, alleviate feelings of loneliness and offer a way to make friends in a new town or school. It provides opportunity to learn new skills, like cooperation, patience, leadership and empathy.
But what about tackling social issues and reducing inequality?
With everything it has going for it, traditional sports can not only be effective at tackling social issues and inequality, in some cases it can be your secret weapon. For example in the battle for men's health, groups such as FC Not Alone and Sands United FC have been created, using football to provide support to men experiencing mental health challenges. This engages a range of men who would never ordinarily reach out to a mental health service.
Wicketz is a cricket programme for 8-19 year olds which operates in areas of high deprivation to offer both physical activity and vital life skills. The School of Hard Knocks uses boxing and rugby to support young people at risk of being excluded from school and adults experiencing long-term unemployment. Clubs like Stonewall FC offer LGBTQI+ individuals not only the chance to play football, but also the opportunity to be part of an environment where they can feel comfortable being their authentic selves.
Example of a Wicketz project
Newer team sports are also a great way to level the playing field for people who haven't taken part in a while or who feel they were no good at traditional sports in school. Less mainstream options, such as korfball, ultimate frisbee and quidditch, are often seen as part of the social sport offer in universities and can help put people at their ease because everyone is starting this new experience from the same place. Notably, these examples are all mixed gender, offering an additional opportunity to include families and friendship groups together.
These are just a handful of examples, but there are many more.
So whilst team and other traditional sports will undoubtedly remain as something that many of us like to watch on TV, let's remember that they still have an important role to play in our wellbeing and inclusion toolkit too. We can learn from the fantastic examples which already exist and build on what we already know to be effective - fun and welcoming environments where it's clear that everyone is welcome, regardless of background or ability.
If you are currently developing your strategy or the implementation of it and would like support on how to make team sports part of your wellbeing and inclusion approach; or if you have a fantastic example of team sports being used to tackle social outcomes, we'd love to hear about it. Get in touch for a chat on info@properactive.co.uk.
(1) How does The Hundred work? New competition rules and how to watch the finals on TV (telegraph.co.uk)
(3) You Gov Women in Sport Report 2021: The growth in women's sport and what it means for marketers
(4) Sporting Future (publishing.service.gov.uk)
(5) Uniting the Movement | Sport England
(6) Sport England Active Lives Report Nov 2019/20
(7) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/338-million-package-to-further-fuel-active-travel-boom
(8) What is social prescribing? | The King's Fund (kingsfund.org.uk)
(9) Many of the National Academy for Social Prescribing's Thriving Communities Fund projects include physical activities as part of their offering Thriving Communities Fund projects | National Academy for Social Prescribing (socialprescribingacademy.org.uk)
(10) Sport England Active Lives Report Nov 2019/20
(11) Weed, M., Coren, E. and Fiore, J. (2009) A Systematic Review of the Evidence Base For Developing a Physical Activity and Health Legacy From the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Canterbury, SPEAR.
(12) Inspire a Generation: participation legacies of elite sporting success — Proper Active
(13) Trost, S. G., Owen, N., Bauman, A. E., Sallis, J. F., & Brown, W. (2002). Correlates of adults’ participation in physical activity: review and update. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 34(12), 1996-2001.
(14) Mendonça, G., Cheng, L. A., Mélo, E. N., & de Farias Júnior, J. C. (2014). Physical activity and social support in adolescents: a systematic review. Health education research, 29(5), 822 839.
(15) Salvy, S. J., Roemmich, J. N., Bowker, J. C., Romero, N. D., Stadler, P. J., & Epstein, L. H. (2009). Effect of peers and friends on youth physical activity and motivation to be physically active. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34, 217-225.
