Mr Kidman's Classroom
Revise the key ideas
User groups
- Recognising user groups — A user group is a group of people with a shared characteristic or circumstance relevant to sport provision. OCR includes gender, different ethnic groups, retired people or people over 60, families with children, carers, people with family commitments, young children, teenagers, disabled people, parents, employed people and unemployed or economically disadvantaged people. Groups overlap: an employed parent may also be a carer. Ask about actual needs rather than assuming every member faces the same barrier.
- Children and teenagers — For this course, young children means birth to the end of primary school, while teenagers means compulsory secondary school age. Children may depend on adults for transport, payment and permission; suitably sized equipment and playful sessions can help. Teenagers may value friends, choice and welcoming beginner groups. Age alone does not determine ability or motivation.
- Older people and retirement — Retired people may have daytime availability, but some have caring duties or limited income. A walking football group can offer social contact and an adaptable pace. Do not assume everyone over 60 is retired, unfit or interested only in gentle exercise; offer progression and competitive choices too.
- Gender and ethnicity — People of different genders and ethnic backgrounds may encounter unequal opportunities, stereotyping or discrimination. Some participants prefer particular clothing, privacy or single-gender provision, but preferences vary within every group. Consult users and provide respectful choices rather than treating ethnicity or gender as a fixed barrier in itself.
- Disability and access — Disability includes physical, sensory and learning disabilities, not only wheelchair use. A step-free entrance may help someone with limited mobility, while clear visual instructions can support a deaf participant and tactile signage can support a visually impaired visitor. Find out individual access requirements; one adaptation cannot meet every need.
- Families parents and carers — Families with children may want shared sessions. A single parent may need childcare while training; a couple can still have conflicting work patterns. A carer can be an adult or a child supporting a relative and may have unpredictable responsibilities. People with family commitments may struggle to commit to a fixed weekly fixture.
- Work and economic circumstances — Employment can provide income but reduce free time, especially with shifts. Unemployment can make cost a barrier even if someone has daytime availability. Economic disadvantage can affect employed people too. Avoid equating having a job with being able to afford membership, travel and equipment.
Barriers and solutions
- Time and commitments — A barrier is something that prevents or reduces participation. Work, school runs and caring can clash with training and competition. Flexible booking, shorter sessions, daytime and evening alternatives, or family sessions can reduce the clash. A free session at the wrong time still leaves the time barrier in place.
- Disposable income — Disposable income is money available after compulsory deductions such as tax; essential living costs further limit what a household can spend on sport. Fees, kit, equipment and travel add up. Concession prices, equipment loans and free tasters reduce the initial cost, but sustainable low-cost sessions are needed if people are to continue.
A concession is a reduced price for an eligible group, such as a lower session fee for students or people receiving specified benefits.
- Transport and location — A participant may lack a car, accessible bus route or safe way home after training. Move sessions nearer users, coordinate suitable community transport or choose times that fit public transport. An ordinary minibus may still exclude a wheelchair user; transport must be appropriate as well as available.
- Role models and family support — Positive sporting role models can make success and participation feel achievable. Limited representation, discouraging family attitudes or no practical help with lifts can reduce confidence and opportunity. Diverse local coaches, peer ambassadors and family taster days can help, but a famous role model cannot remove a membership fee or repair inaccessible facilities.
- Provision and awareness — Lack of provision means a suitable activity is absent; lack of awareness means it exists but people do not know how to access it. A beginner may find only elite teams, or a new resident may not know about an inclusive club. Offer appropriate programmes, sessions and activities, and publicise location, cost, access and joining details through channels the intended group uses.
- Unequal media coverage — Limited coverage of women or minority ethnic performers and stereotyped images can suggest that some people do not belong in sport. Imbalance in commentary and punditry can reinforce this. Broader, respectful coverage and varied role models can challenge the message. Coverage alone will not remove practical barriers such as unsuitable changing rooms.
- Facilities and equipment — Access includes the journey, entrance, changing rooms and the activity itself. A pool hoist may support a swimmer with limited mobility; a hearing loop supports some hearing-aid users, and braille signage supports some blind users. Suitable sports wheelchairs or adapted equipment may help. Staff training and consultation are essential because equipment alone does not ensure inclusion.
- Targeted promotion — Targeted promotion reaches a particular user group through relevant channels and messages. A school newsletter can reach parents; a community group can share translated joining information. Tasters, incentives and local role models can make a first visit less intimidating. State what support exists rather than promising that everyone will enjoy the same activity.
- Choosing a justified solution — Link the person, the specific barrier, an achievable solution and the expected effect. For a fictional shift worker, two alternative training times may increase attendance; a discount alone does not fix a rota clash. Where cost and transport both matter, combine a concession with a suitable local venue. Check attendance and ask users whether the change helped.
From need to participation. Original illustration. Open full-size diagram
Popularity in the UK
- Participation and popularity — Popularity may mean participation, watching or public interest; these are related but different. More participants can support clubs and fixtures, while television audiences can be large even for sports few viewers play. Use a dated measure with its population and frequency, rather than calling viewing figures participation statistics.
- Comparing real data — Sport England's Active Lives results for England show swimming participation at least twice in the previous 28 days rising from 7.4% in November 2023–24 to 8.0% in November 2024–25. In the latter period team sports were 11.2%. These figures illustrate change and a comparison; they cover adults aged 16 and over in England, not the whole UK, and team sports is a category rather than one sport. Survey estimates do not prove why a change occurred.
- Facilities and spectator access — Nearby pitches, pools and courts make regular participation easier; closures or long journeys reduce opportunity. Stadium capacity, ticket prices and transport influence live spectatorship. A televised sport may attract interest but fail to gain players if local facilities and coaches cannot meet demand.
- Environment and climate — Outdoor skiing depends on suitable snow and terrain; dry slopes and indoor snow centres provide alternatives at a cost. Sailing needs suitable water and access, while outdoor cricket can lose playing time to rain. Indoor venues reduce weather dependence but require investment. Environmental conditions affect both availability and expense.
- Media and success — Live broadcasts, highlights and catch-up services expose audiences to a sport; restricted access or little coverage can limit its reach. The Lionesses' EURO 2022 success is a named example: The FA's December 2022 review reported increased interest among girls and more session bookings through FindFootball. These are different measures, not proof of a single cause. Sustained growth also needs affordable opportunities; success does not automatically produce lasting participation growth.
- Role models and acceptability — A varied range of respected performers can widen a sport's appeal. Scandals, dangerous conduct or perceived cruelty may reduce social acceptance, sponsorship and parental support. Different people judge sports differently; explain how a concern affects participation or spectatorship rather than assuming a whole population shares one view.
Emerging sports
- What emerging means — An emerging sport is gaining recognition, participation or provision in a particular place. It need not have been invented recently. Padel is an example of recent growth in Britain, while pickleball is another activity offering new local participation opportunities. Availability differs by area, so check current clubs and introductory sessions rather than assuming nationwide access.
- Padel growth and opportunities — Padel is usually a doubles racket sport on an enclosed court, using the walls during rallies. The LTA reported 860,000 players during 2025, around twice the 2024 level, and more than 1,500 courts in Britain by the end of 2025. Its May 2026 update reported participation passing one million. Club tasters, court construction, coaching and competitions expand opportunities, but fees and uneven court locations can still exclude people.
- Supporting lasting growth — Pickleball uses paddles, a perforated ball and a small court; some venues can mark courts on existing surfaces. Introductory coaching, loan equipment and accessible booking can turn curiosity into repeated play. Judge an emerging sport through repeat participation, facilities and opportunities for different groups, not social-media attention alone.
