The transition to adulthood: a game changer? Panel analyses of the impact of major life events on sport participation.

Abstract

In this study, we investigated changes in and differences between the sport participation of individuals during the transition to adulthood, and the role of major life events that mark this transition. We employ a neo-Weberian theoretical framework related to changes in temporal and social resources to explain how life events marking the more adult statuses of individuals in the transition to adulthood, like leaving fulltime education, beginning to work, engaging in an intimate relationship, formalising a relationship through cohabitation or marriage and becoming a parent affect (1) the number of sports practised by an individual, (2) the frequency of sport participation, and (3) the probability of switching from practising sport (mostly) in a club setting to practising sport in other (non-)organisational settings, or to not practise sport at all. With recent panel data (2009 and 2013) from the Netherlands Longitudinal Lifecourse Study (NELLS) on 2798 individuals, we were able to distinguish between-differences of respondents, from within-developments in respondent’s life courses, and deal with issues of causality and the timing of the events. Our analyses indicate, firstly, that the number of sports practised by an individual and his/her sport frequency decrease when he/she starts cohabiting or gets married, and when he/she becomes a parent. Secondly, individuals with adult educational, civil/marital and parenthood statuses participate in less sports and with a lower frequency than individuals with adolescent statuses. Thirdly, the likelihood of switching from practising sport in a club setting to practising sport in a light setting or to not practising sport at all, is affected by (changes in) an individual’s status within the employment, relationship and civil/marital domain.