Marginalised youth and organised grassroots sport: Promoting retention and reducing dropout

This project explored marginalised young people’s experiences of organised grassroots sport, focusing specifically on those aged 18-24 given the dearth of literature relating to this age group. The study aimed to explore how young people from areas of high social deprivation experience organised grassroots sport with particular respect to their: (i) motivations (ii) opportunities (iii) experiences, and (iv) retention within sport over time. The project recruited five organised grassroots sport settings, two in rural areas, two in urban areas and one in a coastal area within the UK. Each setting works with young people in areas of high social deprivation to provide opportunities for them to take part in organised grassroots sport. The participants recruited as part of the study represent young women and men aged 18-24 years from a range of white and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Findings suggest that multidimensional elements influence the retention of participants in organised grassroot sport. Particularly, their motivation and opportunities for getting involved in sport significantly change as they enter adulthood. Experiences of sport at this given age are fundamental for young people to make the decision of growing out or growing within grassroot sport. Recommendations are made to facilitate the latter outcome.