Participation and Attrition of Children in Kids of Steel

One of the goals of contemporary society is to immerse its children in sport. The benefits of exercise have been well documented and these include decreases in common stress symptoms such as anxiety, depression and anger, enhanced self-concept and enhanced quality of life (Berger & McInman, 1993). Although youth participation in sport is seen by society as a desirable endeavour and the intent is to promote lifelong participation in sport, research has suggested that youth participation in sport is precarious. In a study of youth participation in sport Seefleldt, Gilliam, Blievernicht and Bruce (1978) reported a progressive decline in participation after age 12 for both males and females, and the rate of attrition in youth sports has been estimated to be approximately 33% per year (Petlichkoff, 1996; Saap & Haubenstricker, 1978, cited in Burton, 1984).