Why drop out? Exploring social influences on former competitive adolescent athletes

Many psychosocial and physical advantages are associated with sport participation, but approximately 70% of youth drop out of sport before adolescence (Eitzen & Sage, 2009). During the formative years of adolescence, social relationships with parents, peers, and coaches become critical to one’s motivation, enjoyment, and long-term sport participation (Keegan et al., 2009; Le Bars et al., 2009; Ullrich-French & Smith, 2006). The purpose of this study was to explore former competitive adolescent athletes’ perceptions of how social influences (parents, peers, and coaches) shaped their sport experiences and eventual drop out. Participants included 15 purposively sampled former athletes (nine females and six males; Mage = 21.6; SD = 1.25). Selection criteria did not specify one specific sport background or length of time in and out of sport, and as such, sampled athletes had diverse sport backgrounds. Participants took part in one-to-one semi-structured interviews in which questions were designed to gather in-depth information about their lived experiences. Questions were asked about athletes’ perceptions of peer, parent, and coach influence relating to their motivation, dropout, and enjoyment. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed according to Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis guidelines, moving sequentially from individual-level to group-level analyses in the generation of codes and higher-order themes. The most prominent themes amongst coach influence included positive and negative experiences, methods, style, and behaviour. Peer influence was dominated by both themes of friendship and hostility, but also their contribution to motivation. Parental influence was the least variable across all participants, with certain priorities, facilitation elements, and individual characteristics consistent throughout. Knowledge of these lived experiences can be utilized in future education practices to minimize athlete drop-out rates, increase enjoyment, and aid in the facilitation of positive sport experiences in adolescence.