A study exploring the influence of family, social environment, and societal factors on women's decisionto play professional football in the women's football

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of family, environment, and societal factors on the inclination of athletes competing in the Women's Football 1st League towards football. The study population comprises 408 athletes from the 2023-2024 season of Turkey's Women's Football 1st League, while the sample includes 240 athletes. Data were collected using a 4-item personal information form and the "Reasons for Starting Sports and Expectations" scale. Analyses were conducted using SPSS, with t-tests and Oneway ANOVA applied after normality testing. The significance level was set at p<0.05. The findings reveal that athletes who started sports between the ages of 5 and 8 exhibited a higher interest in sports, with significant differences observed in relation to family, environment, and education factors (p<0.05). Significant differences were also identified based on having a father involved in sports, residential area, and education level (p<0.05). In conclusion, it was determined that factors such as family support, the environment in which they live, and education level play a significant role in women's decision to pursue sports. These factors created significant differences in terms of age of starting sports, level of interest in sports, and expectations from sports. Based on these findings, raising awareness and increasing support programs for women's football are recommended.