The Prescription for Wellness Is Fun!
Driving Participation in Sport
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/25160Keywords:
Sport participation, CrossFit Games, Motivation, Physical Activity, virtual event, mass participation sporting eventAbstract
Understanding individual behavioral choices and the role individual motivation plays for initial and sustained engagement in physical activity and sport is important to increasing participation rates (Bernard et al., 2005). Using Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory framework, this research explored the role of motivation related to participation in sport and physical activity. Specifically, this study focused on the CrossFit® Games Open, a non-traditional virtual mass participation sporting event (MPSE). Prior research has established that non-elite MPSEs are effective events for beginning, but not sustaining, participation in sport and physical activity (Coleman & Sebire, 2016). A large sample (n = 4,325) of participants from the 2018 CrossFit Games Open was surveyed about tenure as a participant and the motivational extraneous factor of participation. The primary finding is that fun is a very important driver of wellness. Additionally, competency factors, as well as commitment to training, support previous outcomes of sport participation research and provide direction to practitioners.
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