The fun integration theory: toward sustaining children and adolescents sport participation.
BACKGROUND
Children cite "fun" as the primary reason for participation in organized sport and its absence as the number-one reason for youth sport attrition. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical framework of fun using a novel mixed-method assessment of participants in sport (FUN MAPS) via concept mapping.


METHODS
Youth soccer players (n = 142), coaches (n = 37), and parents (n = 57) were stratified by age, sex, and competition level and contributed their ideas through (a) qualitative brainstorming, identifying all of the things that make playing sports fun for players; (b) sorting of ideas; and (c) rating each idea on its importance, frequency, and feasibility.


RESULTS
The FUN MAPS identify the 4 fundamental tenets of fun in youth sport within 11 fun-dimensions composed of 81 specific fun-determinants, while also establishing the youth sport ethos.


CONCLUSIONS
The FUN MAPS provide pictorial evidence-based blueprints for the fun integration theory (FIT), which is a multitheoretical, multidimensional, and stakeholder derived framework that can be used to maximize fun for children and adolescents to promote and sustain an active and healthy lifestyle through sport.
Dept of Exercise Science & Nutrition Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Amanda J
AJ
Visek
Sara M
SM
Achrati
Heather
H
Mannix
Karen
K
McDonnell
Brandonn S
BS
Harris
Loretta
L
DiPietro
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003210:Concept Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D058992:Social Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*