Abstract
Background: Participation in sport is associated with a number of physical, social and mental health-related benefits therefore designing programs to increase participation is crucial. Modified sport programs promote involvement by ensuring the environment is safe, inclusive, team oriented, and age appropriate for the development of sport knowledge and skills which facilitates sustained involvement in sport. The Australian Football League (AFL) Junior Football Match Guide is a modified program for junior competition in Australian Rules Football for participants aged 8–12 years. This research evaluated the impact of the AFL Junior Match Guide modified rules program on player participation (through involvement in play) and psychosocial measures of perceptions of enjoyment, competence and competition and winning.
Methods: 458 players (Under 9 and Under 10) from 3 Victorian junior AFL leagues participated in the study. Leagues were classified into one of three ‘types’ depending on the extent to which they adopted the AFL modified rules (high, medium and low) for comparisons. Notational video analysis (using Dartfish easy tag) and field observations were completed at 33 games to examine involvement measured by possessions, disposals and other interactions (by individual and by team). Notational analyses was undertaken using Dartfish software and questionnaire analysis was conducted in STATA. Further, participants completed a self-report questionnaire containing three validated scales to measure their perceptions of enjoyment of the game, competence, and competition and winning.
Results: Significant differences were found between the three types of modified rules adopters in terms of involvement. Players in leagues that were high adopters enjoyed 35% more involvements per game than those who played in leagues that were medium or low adopters. Further, significant associations were found between the number of involvements and perceived competence as well as player involvements and enjoyment. No significant associations were found between number of involvements and perception of competition.
Discussion: The use of modified rules increases involvement and is associated with perceptions of enjoyment and competence. Through increasing involvement, modified rules can facilitate more participants to have more opportunity to develop their skills and keep them in the sport for longer through the impact that it has on perceptions of competence and enjoyment. Adults who deliver and support participation in modified rules programs need to be educated and informed of their efficacy.
Methods: 458 players (Under 9 and Under 10) from 3 Victorian junior AFL leagues participated in the study. Leagues were classified into one of three ‘types’ depending on the extent to which they adopted the AFL modified rules (high, medium and low) for comparisons. Notational video analysis (using Dartfish easy tag) and field observations were completed at 33 games to examine involvement measured by possessions, disposals and other interactions (by individual and by team). Notational analyses was undertaken using Dartfish software and questionnaire analysis was conducted in STATA. Further, participants completed a self-report questionnaire containing three validated scales to measure their perceptions of enjoyment of the game, competence, and competition and winning.
Results: Significant differences were found between the three types of modified rules adopters in terms of involvement. Players in leagues that were high adopters enjoyed 35% more involvements per game than those who played in leagues that were medium or low adopters. Further, significant associations were found between the number of involvements and perceived competence as well as player involvements and enjoyment. No significant associations were found between number of involvements and perception of competition.
Discussion: The use of modified rules increases involvement and is associated with perceptions of enjoyment and competence. Through increasing involvement, modified rules can facilitate more participants to have more opportunity to develop their skills and keep them in the sport for longer through the impact that it has on perceptions of competence and enjoyment. Adults who deliver and support participation in modified rules programs need to be educated and informed of their efficacy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | e121 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2017 |
| Externally published | Yes |
