Barriers, Cultural Influences and Initiatives in Sport
A barrier is something that prevents an individual developing in a physical activity or sport.
Fitness is very important to make it professional in sports as it is the contributing factor that
allows players to succeed. The level of fitness of an athlete is dependent on how much they
train and the amount of intensity they put into their training. When an athlete has reached
this optimum it makes it easier to take part in more physical activities. For example
participating in cricket to long distance running would require more physical ability and
sustainability.
Resources are important in order for people to be able to improve physically, for example
football is a low cost sport and can be played with limited amounts of equipment whereas
polo is very expensive and it isnt a sport you can play in your garden or at the park.
Medical conditions can affect participation in sport as athletes with serious medical
conditions such as heart problems can impact the types of sport they can participate in. This
limits the number of sports they can play and the level of which they can play at. This then
discourages the athlete aspiring to become the best they can be and prevents them from
taking part. Some medical conditions are less serious such as asthma, as long as they carry
an inhaler when playing sport it allows them to participate for a longer period of time.
Ability is a major factor within participation in sport, as the key that helps athletes is how
determined they are and how far they are willing to train and work to become the best they
are. It is often a barrier as it affects how far you go, the better your ability the further you are
likely to go.
Lifestyles can have an effect on participation in sport. For example, athletes may have family
commitments which could interfere with training schedules which then could affect the
likelihood of getting your goal. As well as family, economical issues can be a problem as
some people do not participate in sport because of additional costs and fees they need to
pay. Travelling is expensive and if you live afar and you want to commit to a sport you will
travel regularly throughout the week to get to the place you need to go to, to complete
training. This comes at a price and is extra expenditure as they travel long distances
regularly just to play at the nearest football facility.
Gender can be labeled an issue within sport as many sports are gender orientated. For
example rugby is classed as a males sport whereas ice skating is considered as a feminine
sport. However just because they are labeled to specific genders doesn't mean the opposite
gender can’t take part. In a school environment it is an issue as part of schools curriculum
boys and girls have different sports allocated for different seasons. This then results in
opposite genders not getting the opportunity to take part and learn the basic skills of the
sport. For example a male wanting to learn rounders but not being able to as the curriculum
says they do cricket. Males are often seen as dominant and superior to women as they are
seen as stronger and better at sport in general. This is general stereotyping as although they
are men it doesn’t mean they are better than women at that particular sport.
A barrier is something that prevents an individual developing in a physical activity or sport.
Fitness is very important to make it professional in sports as it is the contributing factor that
allows players to succeed. The level of fitness of an athlete is dependent on how much they
train and the amount of intensity they put into their training. When an athlete has reached
this optimum it makes it easier to take part in more physical activities. For example
participating in cricket to long distance running would require more physical ability and
sustainability.
Resources are important in order for people to be able to improve physically, for example
football is a low cost sport and can be played with limited amounts of equipment whereas
polo is very expensive and it isnt a sport you can play in your garden or at the park.
Medical conditions can affect participation in sport as athletes with serious medical
conditions such as heart problems can impact the types of sport they can participate in. This
limits the number of sports they can play and the level of which they can play at. This then
discourages the athlete aspiring to become the best they can be and prevents them from
taking part. Some medical conditions are less serious such as asthma, as long as they carry
an inhaler when playing sport it allows them to participate for a longer period of time.
Ability is a major factor within participation in sport, as the key that helps athletes is how
determined they are and how far they are willing to train and work to become the best they
are. It is often a barrier as it affects how far you go, the better your ability the further you are
likely to go.
Lifestyles can have an effect on participation in sport. For example, athletes may have family
commitments which could interfere with training schedules which then could affect the
likelihood of getting your goal. As well as family, economical issues can be a problem as
some people do not participate in sport because of additional costs and fees they need to
pay. Travelling is expensive and if you live afar and you want to commit to a sport you will
travel regularly throughout the week to get to the place you need to go to, to complete
training. This comes at a price and is extra expenditure as they travel long distances
regularly just to play at the nearest football facility.
Gender can be labeled an issue within sport as many sports are gender orientated. For
example rugby is classed as a males sport whereas ice skating is considered as a feminine
sport. However just because they are labeled to specific genders doesn't mean the opposite
gender can’t take part. In a school environment it is an issue as part of schools curriculum
boys and girls have different sports allocated for different seasons. This then results in
opposite genders not getting the opportunity to take part and learn the basic skills of the
sport. For example a male wanting to learn rounders but not being able to as the curriculum
says they do cricket. Males are often seen as dominant and superior to women as they are
seen as stronger and better at sport in general. This is general stereotyping as although they
are men it doesn’t mean they are better than women at that particular sport.
