Analysis of factors influencing German youth football players` club membership with a particular focus on dropout

ABSTRACT

The article explores the impact of intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural conditions as well as influences from other areas of life on youth football membership and dropout. With reference to a life course approach, football players (n = 15) from various clubs (n = 4) were interviewed using biographical mapping. Stable and unstable phases alternate in the course of a club membership. Influencing factors vary over time and mutual reinforcements can be observed. Above all, high football priority, pleasant relationships in clubs and favourable structural conditions proved to be stabilizing. In contrast, performance-related and interpersonal problems, structural deficiencies, and alternative leisure-related priorities have destabilizing effects. Four types of membership courses are identified, which are partly similar and partly differ from each other regarding relevant influencing factors. The analysis of influencing factors expands previous findings through a more process-related perspective, and therefore, provides alternative options for dealing with dropouts.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

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36. Löbig et al., ‚Da hatte ich einfach kein Interesse’

37. Mayring, Einführung in die qualitative Sozialforschung.

38. Crane and Temple, ‘A systematic review’; Schlesinger et al., ‘What is influencing the dropout’.

39. Nagel and Vogel, ‘Sozioökonomische Analyse’.

40. Rottensteiner et al., ‘Personal reasons for withdrawal’.

41. Garcia-Mas et al., ‘Commitment, enjoyment and motivation’

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43. Rottensteiner et al., ‘Personal reasons for withdrawal’.

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58. Ibid; Rottensteiner et al., ‘Personal reasons for withdrawal’.

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