Appendix 1. Table of the themes, sub-themes and codes to participation and progression along the recognised sporting pathway.
Theme | Subtheme | Code |
| Competing Priorities | Education | Lack of time for schoolwork |
| Prioritise education over sport | ||
| Parents influence prioritisation of education | ||
| Teachers compete for attention | ||
| Sport Commitments | Desire for multiple sporting interests | |
| Clash in scheduling of sports | ||
| Difficult to choose between sports | ||
| Enhanced connection in other sports | ||
| Established friendships in other sports | ||
| Parental preference for other sports | ||
| Increased risk of injury in other sports | ||
| Coaches compete for attention | ||
| Other Interests and Commitments | Part-time jobs | |
| Volunteering / coaching | ||
| Family commitments | ||
| Fear of missing out | ||
| Logistical Challenges | Transport | Distance from facility / opportunity |
| Transport’s impact on parents | ||
| Alternative modes of transport | ||
| Safety concerns with alternative modes of transport | ||
| Travel logistics a distraction | ||
| Inability to capitalise on opportunities | ||
| Financial | Acute awareness of financial requirements | |
| Financial burden on family | ||
| Absence of Coping Skills | Harnessing Motivation and Commitment | Motivation and commitment as non-negotiables |
| Commitment especially needed on ‘bad days’ | ||
| Lack of motivation / commitment forces removal from sport | ||
| Dealing With Pressure | Dislike feeling of pressure | |
| Pressure reduces athletic performance | ||
| Pressure eventually causes removal from sport | ||
| Varied sources of pressure | ||
| Dealing With Poor Performance | High and lows experienced in short amount of time | |
| Perceived lack of improvement | ||
| Disappointing results / performance | ||
| Comparison with other athletes | ||
| Dealing With Physical Demands | Balancing various commitments | |
| Gradual increase in physical demands | ||
| The impact of injury | ||
| Unfavourable Perceptions | What the Sport Can Offer | Status of the sport |
| Uncertain future in the sport | ||
| Lack of career opportunities | ||
| Involvement to facilitate participation in other sports | ||
| Pathway Perceptions | Perceived challenges | |
| Perceived time commitments | ||
| Perceived ‘intensity’ of pathway | ||
| Perceived age restrictions | ||
| Pathway Awareness | Knowledge of the pathway | |
| Lack of pathway awareness - stages | ||
| Lack of pathway awareness - detail | ||
| Lack of information about pathway provided | ||
| Comparisons / assumptions of other sport(s) pathways | ||
| Lack of publicity / discussion of pathway | ||
| Disagreeable Experiences | [Lack of] Enjoyment | No point taking part in sport without enjoyment |
| Factors contributing to lack of enjoyment | ||
| Various consequences of lack of enjoyment | ||
| Sport Culture | Feelings of isolation within certain sports | |
| Lack of understanding outside of sport | ||
| Over reliance on competition | ||
| Growing pathway intensity | ||
| The Physical Environment | Lack of local facilities | |
| Poor availability of facilities | ||
| Inadequate facilities | ||
| Lack of specific equipment | ||
| Personal Relationships | Lack of friendships / social cohesion | |
| Too much variation in ability / ages | ||
| Poor coach-athlete relationship | ||
| Poor coach-parent relationship | ||
| Unfavourable coach attributes and behaviours | ||
| Parental interests |
Appendix 2. Extended list of considerations.
Disagreeable Experiences
[Lack of Enjoyment] / Sport Culture / The Physical Environment / Personal Relationships
- How open minded are you about the delivery method?
- Do you have the right balance of fun, training, and competition opportunities?
- Do you have insight regarding what type of activity and experiences that young people with sporting potential want to engage with and are most likely to respond to?
- What are the key learning experiences that you are seeking to provide through your competition programme and how does your competition programme support development?
- Are the needs of young people at the centre of your provision?
- Do you actively consider generational cultural trends – e.g., free-spirited nature and a greater focus on personal relationships?
- Are all stakeholders working towards a shared vision of athlete experience?
- How can you create an environment across your pathway where athletes feel they can talk openly about how they’re feeling / challenges they are facing, without fear of judgement?
- Do you foster a “community feeling” within a sport environment and across the sport culture?
- Do you provide parents / families / the support network with information on how to enhance the sport experience for their young people?
Competing Priorities
Education / Sport Commitments / Other Interests and Commitments
- How flexible is your offering based on different athlete needs and competing demands?
- Are your coaches and decision-makers empathetic to the challenges and responsibilities young people have outside of their sport?
- Do you work with athletes and educators to understand the various challenges that they face, and how sport(s) can help them best manage those challenges?
- Does your performance pathway and programme have multiple entry / exit points to cater for the various routes athletes may take as they progress on their sporting and educational journey?
- Are your Pathways considerate of non-linear progression? How do you create space for outliers?
- Have potential risks around current selection / identification methods been acknowledged and managed?
Logistical Challenges
Transport / Financial
- Do you actively consider accessibility of opportunities to overcome logistical challenges?
- Do you provide up-to-date information to athletes / parents / educators to raise awareness of accessible opportunities?
- Do you continually evaluate the impact of inequality of access to pathway entry / progression and the implications for not being able to grow and diversify your talent pool?
Absence of Coping Skills
Harnessing Motivation and Commitment / Dealing with Pressure / Dealing with Poor Performance / Dealing with Physical Demands
- Do your pathways, sessions and coaches look to develop the person and their wider skills, as well as performance?
- What opportunities and challenges can be created within a safe environment that enable athletes to develop and support their motivation towards training and competing?
- Is information available to athletes / coaches / parents to support coping with pressurised events and managing potential setbacks?
- How could you best design and manage competitive experiences to maximise growth and increase understanding of athlete potential?
- How could you track progress and rate of learning (future potential) rather than absolute measures or measures of performance (performance now)?
- How could you go about working with more athletes over extended periods to better understand athlete potential?
Unfavourable Perceptions
What the Sport can offer / Pathway Awareness / Pathway Perception
- What do you think is the external perception of your sport and performance pathway?
- How easy is your pathway to understand for those new to the Sport’s community?
- Is all relevant information relating to your pathway readily accessible through various and appropriate means for a variety of audiences (e.g., athletes, parents and coaches)?
