This study investigates girls' perspectives on participation in decision-making through group interviews with girls (n = 12) aged between 10 and 15 years involved in athletics, basketball, and football. An abductive thematic analysis based on Lundy's model revealed that not only are the coach's efforts in facilitating children's participation important, but children also bear a responsibility to engage with their peers. Thus, Lundy's model is insufficient from a child's perspective on children's participation in sports. Findings also revealed girls' uncertainties and reluctance to make decisions, with performance and ability cited as reasons for their disengagement from the decision-making process.

Denna empiriska studie utforskar barns perspektiv på delaktighet i syfte att få fördjupad kunskap om barns upplevelser av delaktighet inom lagidrott och in-dividuell idrott. Semistrukturerade gruppintervjuer genomfördes med 32 barn i ridsport, orientering, friidrott, basket, fotboll och handboll. En tematisk analys visade att delaktighet för barnen inbegrep maktaspekter, sociala relationer, gemenskap och grupptillhörighet. Barn som utövade individuell idrott hade mer inslag av barnledda aktiviteter än lagidrotter. Barns incitament att påverka skiljde sig åt inom framförallt lagidrotterna där yngre barn prioriterade att ha roligt och ville bestämma mer medan äldre barn prioriterade utveckling och att tränaren därför skulle bestämma då barnen ansåg att tränaren visste bäst. Hinder för delaktighet visade sig framförallt inom lagidrotter där stora grupper innebar mindre möjlighet att påverka beslut och känna social tillhörighet.

This empirical study explores children’s perspectives on participation to gain in-depth knowledge of children’s experiences of participation in team sports and individual sports. Semi-structured group interviews were conducted with 32 children in equestrian sports, orienteering, athletics, basketball, soccer, and handball. A thematic analysis showed that participation in sports inclu-ded aspects of power, social relations, fellowship, and belonging. Children in individual sports had more elements of child-led activities than team sports. Children’s incentives to influence differed, especially within team sports, where younger children prioritized having fun and wanted to decide some. In comparison, older children prioritized development, and wanted the coach to decide since the children thought the coach knew best. Obstacles to par-ticipation appeared above all in team sports, where large groups meant less opportunity to influence decisions and experience social belonging.  

This paper describes the development of a psychometric instrument to measure children's experience of relational participation in voluntary sports organizations. The method followed psychometric principles of measurement construction. The construction followed six steps: (1) Defining children's experiences of participation in sports, (2) Construction of items, (3) Determination of sample size, (4) Examination of data quality, including verification of factorability, (5) Determination of the number off actors, and (6) Validation of the scale. Based on previous research, children's experience of participation in sports was defined as composed of relations between the children and their trainer and also between children and their peers. Forty‐four constructed items based on the relational concept underwent two tests with 162 sporting children (10 + 152) aged between 13 and 17. Reliability testing was conducted using item analysis with Cronbach's alpha, factor analysis, and inter‐item analysis. Seven items remained in two confirmed dimensions: participation between children and trainers (CPIT) and participation between peers (CPIP). Additional validity analysis using linear regressions showed that the CERSPS instrument, in part, could explain children's satisfaction with how their sport is organized.

This study aims to explore children's experience of relational participation in sports and the impact on their presumed continuation in sports. A quantitative method was used, based on multivariate analysis of data collected from 16 sports teams comprising 150 children aged 13-17 years old from 10 sports clubs. Children's experience of relational participation was measured using a psychometric instrument, the Children's Experience of Relational Participation Scale (CERSPS). Results show that the more children experience participation, the more likely they are to continue with sports. Also, significant differences were shown between age groups, with younger children experiencing more satisfactory participation than older children. Differences were also evident across clubs, highlighting the need for trainers to incorporate children's views more effectively when organizing sports.