Effects of sport club activities on adolescent development in Germany

Abstract

In promotional campaigns, German sport clubs promise to protect adolescents against drugs and addiction, to strengthen social networks, to increase self‐confidence, and to reduce violence and hostility. Such rhetoric is partially supported by conclusions from cross‐sectional studies, where correlation findings have occasionally been misinterpreted as cause‐and‐effect relationships. To empirically examine a possible causal relationship between adolescent activity in sport clubs and improvements in motor ability and psychosocial health, we conducted a longitudinal study with 500 adolescents (ages 12 to 18) in three cohorts. Study methods included validated survey instruments, motor tests, and focused interviews, applied over the course of three school years. Results do not show a systematic and universal effect of club membership on adolescent development. Even though adolescents in clubs attain higher beginning performances in speed, strength, endurance and coordination abilities and show more positive results in their self‐concept and psycho‐social health when compared to their non‐member peers and with exceptions succeed in maintaining these performance advantages, our data indicate a self‐selection rather than a sport club effect. It is possible that results of greater differentiation and deeper insights could be attained, if future research were to investigate the impact of sports by disciplines, design studies of longer duration, and utilise more elaborate statistical procedures.

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