How to tackle barriers in sport

Hi guys, last week I listed some of the barriers which can occur when engaging in sport and this week I will be outlining how we can tackle these. There are many more which I haven’t mentioned, and you can find out more here.

Lack of support

So, what do you do if you do not have the support you need to begin or continue sport?

Ask yourself, who do you need support from? Once you have identified this, see why they are not supporting you.
If you feel like you don’t have the confidence that you can go on your own, see if a friend could go with you (remember, you will make friends. Some of the best friendships I have are from engaging with sport).
Support from family can also be vital for sporting participation. Try having a conversation with them and see if you can come to a solution together. This is one of my biggest regrets when I was 16 and stopped competing. My parents said they no longer wanted to travel every weekend to competitions and because I couldn’t drive a car let alone a horse lorry and had no financial funding, I saw no choice but to go along with their decision. Perhaps if I asked them to continue until I passed my driving tests or compromised and committed to less competitions I would still be competing now.

Education and friendships

Education is vital when you are growing up to ensure you set yourself in good stead for your future. However, the importance of leading a healthy and active lifestyle is also required and if that can be achieved through sports, then an argument could be made that its importance is the same as education. I was lucky that my school and PE department recognised that sport was a necessity and would allow me to have time off school to practice, travel and compete. If you find that schoolwork is stopping you, maybe have a look at how you are managing your time and if things could be done more efficiently.

School and college can also be where you make some of the best friendships, and that can make you want to prioritise spending time with them rather than go training 3 times a week. If so, why not see if they want to get involved too. One of the perks engaging in sport was the friendships that I made, even when I was new to a team, so don’t worry too much that you will be on your own. You will soon make friends!

Costs

This can be a tricky and somewhat challenging barrier to overcome. If I take my chosen sport of horse riding, you can probably imagine that it is quite an expensive sport to get involved with, and you are right! Without my parents getting me and my twin involved from a young age, I wouldn’t be able to afford it now, let alone when I was a child. I was lucky and I am forever grateful for them for that, but we can’t all be so fortunate.

If you perceive cost being the reason for you not participating in sport, have you asked for help? Have you researched to see if there are any initiatives in your area for increasing participation? Here are some links to get you started:

https://www.activehw.co.uk/clubs

https://www.activehw.co.uk/uploads/our-blueprint-for-tackling-inactivity-across-herefordshire-worcestershire-through-the-power-of-physical-activity-and-sport.pdf

https://www.activehw.co.uk/what-we-do

Self-confidence

This one is a big barrier to overcome and seems to be more prominent factor for girls when considering participation in any form of physical activity. The first time I came across this was the start of a new season, after having the most successful year previously, and I was on a new horse and in a new team. My performance was shocking! I felt like I had this pressure to continue to perform at the high level I was at with my old horse and team. It nearly stopped me from continuing, however, I moved forward and found the enjoyment in the sport, and not just experience the competition and need to win. I changed my perspective.

If this barrier is stopping you, realise that everyone has been in your position before. That no one started off being successful and it takes time and practice to where you want to be. Having support, knowledge and encouragement can all help build self-confidence, so try to ensure you have those three factors when beginning engagement to combat this barrier.

If this has been useful to you or you want to ask me any questions about today’s post, feel free to leave a comment or drop me a message on Instagram or TAP.

Have a great day! Soph