Barriers to participation Barriers to participation are reasons why not everybody can take part in sporting activities or get

involved in one. Barriers to participation are factors that prevent people participating. One reason why people cannot participate in sport is due to an individuals culture. Culture is a barrier to participation due to the UK having people from different nationalities and religions, due to rules and traditions of the cultures that might affect people being able to play sports. An example is some cultures do not believe women should participate in sports due to beliefs. Another example is that cultures might not be familiar with British sports and may have different games to participate in which are not played or are not well known in Britain e.g. Korfball which will not have the number of coaches or players to play competitively compared to a popular sport such as Football or Netball. Another reason why people cannot take part in sport is social barriers, which might be due to what peers think and do. People might also feel embarrassed to try out new sports. There might also be circumstances from external factors such as having too many activities on and also family influences on sport. Economic factors can also be a reason why barriers occur. Economic problems such as being unable to pay for the costs of participation, which can include transport to events, paying for fees and memberships and also purchasing equipment to use in activity. Economic factors dont only affect individuals but can at the same time affect a whole community if the area has become run down and has had little investment to create areas for sports to take place. The UK has many sports that have spread and become popular around the Commonwealth, but traditionally sports have been male dominated and womens sports have been limited to hockey, netball and tennis. Due to these traditions certain groups have little involment in certain sports for example Asians in football and women playing contact sports. Sports have to combat stereotypes and equality and access to sports no longer seem impossible, and in recent years gender imbalance has decreased and there are now more opportunities for women. Education is where most first encounters in sports occur and also the first time individuals encounter their own strengths and weaknesses which can make individuals become less confident and more self-conscious about their body. This can then lead to a negative attitude towards Physical Education. This then means that PE have the task of rebuilding confidence or working with individuals to find a sport that they enjoy. Other factors that can cause barriers through education include lack of facilities or the number of sports

on offer, not having sports clubs in school and also if the school suffers from a lack of funding to pay for equipment to run sports clubs.

There are a number of groups that are targeted by the barriers of participation these include women, young people, the over 50s, disabled people and black minority ethnic groups. Women have participated less in sport in the past compared to men. This has been due to less opportunity in sports and women also being stereotyped to having to be stay at home and look after the children. Due to Sports-development schemes aimed at women for example single sex exercise groups in pilates and aerobics and also more females teams being set up to participate in male dominated sports such as rugby, football and cricket. These steps should help to overcome inhibitions and spread equal opportunities for everybody. Another way women can get into sport is through the use of media attention, this is done by showing more womens sports on television and create more role models for example the womens rugby world cup 2010 in England was broadcast on Sky Sports. Another technique used to improve participation in sport for women is with grants, an example of this is in Leeds, which was one of 20 projects where a lottery grant worth 70,000 was given to get women more active in disadvantaged communities by offering sports such as netball, badminton, tennis and swimming.

The over-50s is a target group affected by barriers to participation. Many of the schemes aimed at this group are mainly focused on the participation level in the sports-development continuum and are mainly run by local councils and authorities. The over 50s need more opportunities because due to the decrease in pensions more people are working till the age of 65 and as a result they need to stay fit and healthy. Schemes that help improve participation are often aimed at the social factor an example of a scheme working to improve participation is the Havant Borough Councils over 50s exercise class which aims on improving the condition of the heart, lungs and maintain mobility, strength and balance. Another way that over 50s participation can be improved in activities is by offering pensioners only classes and also pensioners discount.

Another target group affect by the barriers of participation is Black and minority ethnic groups. Although black athletes are well known in sport other ethnic groups within the UK do less well within sports participation. This can be due to a number of external factors such as poverty, a lack of facilities and coaching and having knowledge about the United Kingdoms sport. Many organisations from the

performance level of the continuum such as local county teams have worked with schemes to help create understanding and relieve racial tensions in sport. Many county sports teams have announced their pledge to address racial discrimination by signing up to the racial equality charter for Sport. This charter promotes Sporting equals, a national initiative to promote racial equality in sport within England. Britains ethnic minority population is around 11 million and only 1 in 5 members of some ethnic communities are able to participate in physical activities once a month. An example of this is almost 92 percent of South Asian women do not take part in the recommended levels of activity, whilst 55 percent of all women do. Schemes set up for this group are mainly aimed at the foundation and participation level of the continuum. One way that minority ethnic groups can be attracted to sports is with the improvement of media attention of cultural sports, and as create more role models within sports from ethnic minorities for example Manchester Uniteds Park Ji Sung and Bolton Wanders Chong Yong Lee.