George Alexander
Unit 12- Assignment 4
Task 1
Time:
Time is a barrier to sports participation as some people may have very busy lives which means that
they do not have enough time to take part in sport. For example, if someone has kids and has to go
to work then they won’t be able to make time to take part in sports as looking after children is very
demanding especially if they are of a young age where they need taking to and from school. Tidying
up for them after you've come back from dropping them off, doing there washing and putting it
away. Then any other jobs you may have to do in your home. After school you could put them in
after school clubs but that's if you can afford too, so that maybe another barrier to your sport. Then
after all that you've still got to go home and cook their dinner and put them to bed then after all that
your too tired to do anything else.
Resources:
Resources can be a barrier to participation in sport as if someone wants to do weight training then
they may not have the equipment to do this and they would then need to pay for equipment or a
gym membership. Also, before you decide to start anything you need to take a look at the facility
and ask yourself if it is good enough as you wouldn't want to sign up somewhere and be
disappointed. Another type of resource that some people may be lacking are teammates as if their
friends are busy doing other things, they wouldn’t be able to play sports such as football as they
won’t be able to get a team together.
Fitness:
Fitness could be a barrier to participation in sport as people who are very unfit may not want to take
part in sport as they could be scared of people judging them. For example, someone who is obese
may think that people would judge them because of their weight, and they may not even like sport,
so they are even less inclined to take part. Another massive part of someone’s fitness is their
motivation to exercise. A lack of motivation will stand between what you will be if you sit back and
do nothing about it, and what you can become if you do something about the problem. To increase
your motivation, you should take a friend to exercise regularly so you can both keep each other on
your toes so there’s no time for messing about.
Ability:
This could be a barrier to participation in sport as if there is someone who has rarely taken part in a
certain sport before then they may not want to do it as they would think that everyone else would
be better than them. This means that they just wouldn’t take part at all and they wouldn’t know if
everyone was better than them, so they miss out on a good opportunity to exercise. For example, if
there is someone who hasn’t played any football before and they decide to join a well-known club in
, George Alexander
their county, then they would be playing with much better players. This would mean that they would
get out skilled in the training session so they may be put off from participating.
Medical Conditions:
Medical conditions can be a massive barrier to sport as if you have short term or long-term injuries
then this can completely stop you from participating in sport. For example if you have torn your ACL
then you will not be able to take part in any exercise for months so when they eventually come back
it won’t feel the same and this may push them away from participating in sport. Another medical
condition that once again links to preventing participation is obesity. Being obese can be very
dangerous to your health and doctors say that if you're overweight as a child you're likely to be
overweight as an adult. Obesity is linked all kinds of health problems such as: heart disease, cancer,
strokes, high blood pressure and weak bones. To prevent it children are encouraged to take part in
physical activity from a young age because it will reduce the risk of them becoming obese in their
childhood. People that take part in any aerobic exercise are more likely to be affected in losing
weight.
Task 2
Gender:
Although women’s and girls’ participation in sport and exercise has exploded in the last generation,
the numbers of female and male participants are not equal. More important, gender influences
thoughts, feelings, and behaviours within physical activity settings. Gender disparities reflect power
relations. Before 1972 when Title IX was passed, over 90% of U.S. Women’s athletic teams were
coached by women. Today, even though more girls and women participate, less than 50% of their
coaches are women. Sport studies scholars have described sport as a powerful force that socializes
boys and men into a restricted masculine identity. We expect to see men dominate women, and we
are uncomfortable with bigger, stronger women who take active, dominant roles expected of
athletes. Gender stereotypes may restrict men in sport even more than women. Men who deviate
from the masculine norm within the athletic culture often face ridicule, harassment, or physical
violence. Stereotypes are a concern because people act on them, exaggerating minimal gender
differences and restricting opportunities. Both girls and boys can participate in figure skating or ice
hockey. Yet children see female figure skaters and male ice hockey players as role models; peers
gravitate to sex-segregated activities; and parents, teachers, and coaches support gender-
appropriate activities. The gendered context of sport and exercise has changed, particularly for
women and girls, but gender stereotypes and disparities persist. Sport and exercise are clearly
linked with masculine values and behaviours. Those gender stereotypes restrict opportunities and
behaviours for both men and women, and may encourage unhealthy behaviours, such as
overtraining or unhealthy eating behaviours. The limited gender research focuses on women, which
highlights neglected issues, but sport and exercise scholars have far to go to understand gender in
physical activity settings.
