Action Research Building Activity KnowHow Retention Context Most
Action Research: Building Activity Know-How & Retention
Context • Most disadvantaged young people lack access to the rich, vibrant and varied sporting opportunities that their more affluent peers enjoy • Many grow up within under-served communities – meaning they: • Are less exposed to sport • Have less sporting memories • Have fewer safe places to play • Live in areas with fewer voluntary clubs • With Less volunteers and fewer positive role models. This means they often grow up ‘in deficit’
Activity Know-How • By helping young people to try different activities, go to different places, meet new people and spectate at live sports events we can help to grow their Activity know-how. • By this we mean their confidence, competence and a connection with sport. • It’s not just about the physical ability to play sport – but the skills to ‘fit in’ to the context of the offer
Why is Activity Know-How important? • Young people are constantly changing and shaping the way they live their lives • They ‘revolve’ in and out of sport • Without intervention many are likely to drop out of sport and are unlikely to gain the confidence and competence to build a sporting habit. • If their activity know-how grows the inevitable interruptions to participation, due to changing priorities of adolescence are fewer and further between.
Action Research Project To test and explore: • How to build ‘activity know-how’ and • Minimise young people ‘revolving’ in and out of sessions…and sport
Who was involved? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Plymouth City Council (SW) North Somerset Council (SC) Active Life (SE) Sanjuro (LDN) Unity Leisure (EM) Life Leisure (NW) TUF*C (NW) Toxteth Fire Fit Hub (NW) Wirral Sports Development (NW 10. Ravenhead Foyer (NW) 11. Link 4 Life (NW) 12. East Riding (Y&H) 13. Child Dynamix (Y&H) 14. Unity Gym (Y&H) 15. Flying Futures (Y&H) 16. A 690 (NE) 17. Youth Almighty (NE) 18. Hat Trick (NE)
Action Research Project • 18 Organisations involved • Each were provided with funding, advice and guidance to ‘test’ different approaches from three ‘baskets’: 1. An ‘enhanced VIVA’ offer basket 2. A ‘nudge’ basket 3. A ‘support’ basket
Enhanced VIVA Basket Introducing New Sports: Social Activities: • Pop Up sports • Sports taster sessions • Tournaments & competitions • Guest coaches • • • Food & Film nights Cook & Eat nights Beauty elements DJ sessions Social Trips Social media competitions
Enhanced VIVA Basket Group Trips • Social Trips • Match day tickets • Outdoor adventure activities • Visits to local sports facilities
Nudge Basket Nudges: • Loyalty & Rewards Schemes • Involving family members • Sending Text messages
Support Basket • Peer Promoters • Buddies • Coaches providing ‘Hands-on’ visits & support – through trips and visits to new centres and activities • Empowering Coaching Training
Action Research Activity Examples
Enhanced VIVA (vibrant & varied) Offers Project Examples: Introducing New Sports/New ways to play: • Active Life: introduced self-defence and table tennis • Child Dynamix: introduced basketball, dodgeball and tennis into their sessions • N. Somerset: introduced Street Dance • A 690, Youth Almighty and Hat Trick: introduced tennis and cardio tennis • Northants Leisure: introduced additional pop up sports such as dodgeball and handball • TUF*C: introduced a weekly football fixture (Champions League style format) • East Riding: ran a fun tennis tournament with food and social time
Enhanced VIVA (vibrant & varied) Offers Project Examples: Introducing Social Activities: • East Riding: engaged their group in a team building activity session • Ravenhead Foyer: went on a group trip to ice skate and visit the Christmas markets in Manchester which incorporated a fun selfie-orienteering challenge to encourage increased activity • TUFC: ran a range of socials including a Britain’s got Talent style event and a hair and beauty evening. • Life Leisure: had a DJ come in to do additional sessions and rap battles and took a group of females on a cinema trip • Child Dynamix: went on a Go-karting trip
Nudges Project Examples: • Flying Futures: sent text message reminders to participants at one session a few hours before the session took place • TUF*C: used Instagram and Whats. App to send group alerts and reminders • A 690: used a school tannoy at the end of the school day to remind young people to attend sessions. • Most organisations used reward incentives such linked to key attendance milestones
Support Project Examples: • Many organisations asked a young person to take on the role of Peer Promoter to remind and encourage their peers to attend • Ravenhead Foyer: used a buddy system • Coach Support: – Unity Gym: coaches took participants to Sheffield Sharks basketball match – A 690: coaches took participants on a trip to a trampoline park and also went to the indoor tennis centre to play in a fun tournament – Coaches from Life Leisure & Unity Gym went on the Empowering Coaching for Doorstep Sport workshop
Action Research – Summary Findings
Doorstep Sport • Participant Survey data emphasised the vital importance of doorstep sport provision in encouraging regular attendance: – – – Low Cost Local Accessible Led by a welcoming & empathetic leader Fun, friendly & varied
Participant Survey Data: Factors that are most likely to encourage participants to keep coming back
Peers • Peer influence is a significant factor: – Knowing friends would be attending/not attending strongly influences attendance – Provision of opportunities to socialise and meet up with existing and new friends is highly valued
Participant Survey Data If you were undecided about whether to go to a session – what factors would be most likely to ENCOURAGE you to attend
Participant Survey Data If you were undecided about whether to go to a session – what factors would be most likely to DISCOURAGE you from attending?
VIVA • Providing a Vibrant & Varied (VIVA) offer impacts positively on attendance / retention – – – Variety of sporting activities Social activities Opportunities to try new sports Opportunities to play in different places Opportunities to play in different ways
VIVA • Group based social activities, additional sports and trips in addition to the weekly sports sessions are important for retention: – The additional activities help to create a ‘buzz’ and get young people talking about the sessions. – This in turn has helped to promote a sense of belonging, encourage new participants to join & support retention. – The non-sporting activities, social activities and chillout times have helped groups to bond and form new friendships.
Rewards & Incentives • Rewards & Incentives linked to the achievement of key milestones can support regular attendance: • Especially where the rewards have been customised, for example: – Choice of rewards – Customised e. g. T-shirts with names on – Trips as well as ‘goodies’ • Nudges are NOT as influential as the offer itself
Trips as Rewards • Group trips as rewards have been highly valued. Examples have included: – Life Leisure: Cinema trip – Ravenhead Foyer: Ice skating and to Xmas Markets – TU*FC: Trip to a climbing wall. – A 690: Trip to a trampoline park – Child Dynamix: Go-Karting
Text Message Reminders • Text message and social media reminders can provide useful ‘nudges’ to encourage attendance/retention. – Flying Futures incorporated sending regular text messages to participants attending their Carcroft session and said it worked well in terms of reminders/ flagging special events. However, they said this was possible because the coaches have a strong relationship with attendees. – Not all young people want to share their mobile numbers – Some organisations found the ‘mechanics’ of sending text message reminders challenging and some had concerns about safeguarding/data protection in contacting young people directly.
Activity Know-How • The provision of additional activities can be valuable in helping to grow activity know-how • Connections • Competence • Confidence
Activity Know How Connections • Additional social activities have increased social bonding/friendships within sessional groups • Additional activities and trips have also given the staff further opportunities to get to know the young people better (and viceversa) • Trips to spectate at local sports matches have helped to build local sporting connections
Activity Know How Competence • Introduction of new and additional activities • Fun/friendly matches and tournaments Helped young people to gain experience and confidence in a variety of new sports, new ways to play & new places to take part
Activity Know How Confidence • The rapport provided by the coaches together with the introduction of peer promoters and buddies has been found to be a good way of encouraging attendance and supporting those who are less confident to take part. • Supported group trips to new leisure venues can help break down some of the fears and concerns about going to new places
Participant Survey Data Percentage of Participants who feel they have increased their confidence, skills, knowledge and interest in sport/fitness
Participant Survey Data % of participants that say they are likely to…. . .
Action Research Challenges There has been lots of new activity taking place…. . but not without some challenges……… • It takes time to organise new and additional activities, identify and support peer-promoters and organise rewards/incentives • Christmas and Winter Weather has had an impact – particularly on those with only outdoor venues • Mechanics of sending text message reminders to young people • ‘Style’ of external coaches delivering sessions doesn’t always suit doorstep sport participants
Final Thoughts…. • • The action research project provided doorstep sport organisations with opportunities to provide additional activities, trips and socials and they recognise the benefits of doing so. Survey and monitoring data together with project leader feedback indicates that the additional activities and support have had a positive impact on retention and activity know-how: – Emphasising the fundamental importance of local, affordable and friendly sessions in encouraging regular attendance. – The value of providing a varied offer, which includes more than just a weekly sports session has also been confirmed, i. e. one which also provides opportunities to try different activities, group socials and trips. – Nudges can help to encourage attendance • Analysis of participant monitoring data on Views shows that the majority of organisations involved in this action research project have been able to achieve above average participant retention rates – most between 70 -90%.
A big thank you to all of the organisations that took part in this action research project For more information contact: ceris. anderson@streetgames. org
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