The evaluation of sport participation reasons among children aged 9 - 14 ( Kütahya sample )

The purpose of this study was to determine why the primary school students? aged between 9-14 years are engaged in sports. The participants were 597 students (238 girl and 359 boy students) aged 9-14 years (12.15 ± 1.68.; mean+s) years attending primary schools during the 2005-2006 education year in Kütahya. ?Participation Motivation Questionnaire? were used for gathering the data. This scale (PMQ) was developed by Gill, D. L., Gross, J. B. & Huddleston, S. (1983); and was translated into Turkish by Oyar; Asçı, Çelebi ve Mülazımoglu (2000, 2001). Data were analyzed with independent samples t-test and Pearson product moment correlation. The results revealed that there was a significant difference in participation motivation between girl and boy students for the average scores of `competition? subscale (p<.01). Girl students? competition scores were higher than boy students?. According to this finding, competition is important to males. The results of the present study also indicated that there were significant differences in participation motivation between individual sports and team sports for the average scores of `fun? and `achievement/statute? subscales (p<.05). The students who participated in individual sports? fun and achievement/statute scores were lower than the students who participated in team sports?. This mean that fun and achievement/statute is important to individual sports. According to the Pearson Correlation results, a positive and significant relationship was obtained between students' participation types and age levels for girls and boys. In addition to this, there is a positive and significant relationship between students' participation types and age levels for individual and team sports.