“Sport is often viewed as a means of promoting social inclusion among youth, but our findings show that it rather reflects how their lives already are,” says NOVA researcher Marlene Persson at OsloMet.
“Young people who feel safe and are already embedded in a social community tend to participate more frequently in sport. Those facing various everyday challenges are often the ones who do not participate.”
In a recently published article, Persson and her colleague Ingunn Eriksen draw on data from the longitudinal study Inequality in Youth. They analyse patterns of social belonging for three groups of young people:
- Non-participants: Young people who have not taken part in sport during youth.
- Drop-outs: Those who stopped playing sport during their teenage years.
- Participants: Young people who regularly take part in organised sport throughout youth.
Lack of opportunities and other priorities
Among non-participants, the researchers found that those from majority backgrounds often faced difficulties in multiple areas—whether at home, school, or with their health. These challenges made it difficult for them to engage in sport, and for many, participation simply did not appear to be an option.
“For some young people, participation in sport isn’t a choice—not because they don’t want to, but because their life situation makes it difficult to fit into existing organised sports,” Persson explains.
In contrast, young people from minority backgrounds were often well integrated in other social arenas. Yet many felt that traditional sports such as handball, football, and skiing did not appeal to them.
“While majority youth who don’t participate in sport often struggle with school, family, or health, we see that minority youth who don’t take part tend to do well with family, friends, and school. What they lack are organised sports, equipment or facilities that better align with their interests.”
The way sport is currently organised is poorly suited to the most vulnerable youth, and ill-equipped to promote social inclusion.– Marlene Persson
Sport as a reflection of life circumstances
Young people who either had dropped out of sport or still participated generally felt safe and socially included. For them, sport was merely a natural part of an active social life—not something that determined their sense of belonging.
“Our findings suggest that in Norway, where organised sport holds a strong cultural position, it is not sport itself that creates social inclusion. Rather, it reflects how well young people already are integrated into society,” says Persson.
Why is sport perceived as inclusive?
Many studies, such as Ungdata (ungdata.no), highlight several positive outcomes for young people who participate in organised sport. These include higher life satisfaction, greater self-esteem, lower substance use, and reduced experiences of bullying compared to those who do not participate.
Such findings are often used by authorities and sports organisations to argue that sport can help achieve social policy goals—particularly those related to preventing young people from falling outside of social communities.
“Our findings certainly don’t mean that sports don’t contribute positively to the lives of many young people,” Persson emphasises. “But instead of assuming that these surveys show how sport influences youth, we should view them as a reflection of who is already involved in sport.”
Because Inequality in Youth is a qualitative longitudinal study, where researchers followed the same young people from ages 13 to 19, they were able to explore more deeply and uncover underlying reasons behind whether or not they chose to participate in sport—thus painting a slightly different picture.
If the goal is to include new groups, sport cannot simply offer more of the same.– Marlene Persson
Implications for future policy and practice
The study provides valuable insights into how young people’s engagement in sport is intertwined with their social lives and everyday circumstances. Persson believes these findings should have implications for future policy and practice, both from government and within the world of sport.
“Firstly, we must acknowledge that the way sport is currently organised is poorly suited to the most vulnerable youth, and ill-equipped to promote social inclusion,” she says.
For these young people, other leisure activities or options may be more important—such as youth clubs with trusted adults or easily accessible health services at school.
Secondly, if the goal is to include new groups, sport cannot simply offer more of the same.
One participant, for instance, said there were many football clubs and pitches in his area, but he and his friends really wanted a place to play basketball—something that was completely lacking.
“What activities are available determines who takes part, so new opportunities must be created to reach more young people. The problem is that the sports democracy and local councils tend to prioritise the largest sports, making it more difficult to invest in new activities,” Persson concludes.
Reference
Persson, M.F. og Eriksen, I.M. (2025). Sports participation as a reflection of social inclusion in youth: a holistic exploration of sport within young people’s lives (tandfonline.com). Sport, Education and Society.
About the study
Inequality in Youth (uni.oslomet.no) explores how social inequality plays out during adolescence. It is a longitudinal, qualitative study based on repeated interviews with 81 young people across four different communities in Norway. The researchers followed them from the age of 13 to 19.
