Orienteering from Cradle to Grave—How a Sport Could Offer Lifelong Participation

Max Bergström,Stig Arve Sæther,Mats Jong

doi:10.3390/socsci10050146

Max Bergström, Stig Arve Sæther + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10050146

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Abstract

Background: The aim of this present study is to explore what makes orienteering meaningful and rewarding to former elite athletes’ years or even decades after ending their elite careers. Methods: Applying a qualitative approach with a case study design, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 former elite orienteers from Norway and Sweden, and the data was subsequently analyzed with thematic analysis, resulting in two main themes: individually matched challenges and a social community. Results: The character, structure, and culture of orienteering both enabled and encouraged former elite athletes to make the transition into recreational sport. Even so, the characteristics of the sport related to both its structure (range of ages, level, and ambition) and organization (well-organized) as well as the participants’ backgrounds (well-educated) and intrinsic motivation (satisfaction, enjoyment, mastery) seemed to match a lifelong sport participation. Conclusions: These factors could indicate that orienteering is a sport that can facilitate a lifelong sport participation for athletes with such a background.

Highlights

Sport participation represents a vital arena for physical activity for both recreational and elite athletes for health-related reasons, such as preventing cancer, depression, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (WHO 2010; Kamphius et al 2007), and because of the relationship between sport and exercise activities and enjoyment, excitement, passion, and challenges (Adie and Jowett 2010)
Orienteering as a sport seemed to offer the informants competition, which the participants in this study considered self-referential, that provides challenges according to their level of performance; even challenges similar to those they experienced as elite athletes
This study showed that intrinsic motivation and meaningfulness promote lifelong participation (LLP) in orienteering and that these factors were generated by the structure, character and culture of orienteering as well as by broader aspects like class and national culture

Summary

Introduction

Sport participation represents a vital arena for physical activity for both recreational and elite athletes for health-related reasons, such as preventing cancer, depression, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (WHO 2010; Kamphius et al 2007), and because of the relationship between sport and exercise activities and enjoyment, excitement, passion, and challenges (Adie and Jowett 2010). Correlations have been found between physical inactivity in youth and inactivity in mid-adulthood, as well as a broad repertoire of sports in childhood and higher rates of physical activity later in life (Pinto Pereia et al 2018; Skille and Solbakken 2014; Engström 2008). Another factor in retainment of physical activity is the motivation for doing the activity. Conclusions: These factors could indicate that orienteering is a sport that can facilitate a lifelong sport participation for athletes with such a background.

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