What makes sports fun?

What makes organized sports fun for kids? A group at George Washington University (GW), led by Professor Amanda J. Visek, has been studying this question. The research is important because lots of kids give up playing sports around age 13 or 14.

The reason kids quit? 【小题1】 So if the group can figure out what makes sports fun, maybe more kids will play longer and develop better lifelong exercise habits.

First, the group brainstormed 81 things called "fun determinants" that can make sports fun. Then they asked the players aged 8 to 18 to assess how important each thing was to their enjoyment of playing organized sports. 【小题2】 The players ranked(排名) “winning” as only the 40th most important fun determinant. Unexpectedly, they ranked "trying your best," "exercising and being active" and “getting along with your teammates" in the top 10 most important fun determinants.

【小题3】 They also compared younger athletes with older athletes as well as recreational athletes and kids who play on travel teams. The recent study revealed (揭露) more surprises. Some people think girls like sports because they want to be with their friends, while boys like to compete. 【小题4】 It's true boys placed slightly more importance on "improving athletic skills to play at the next level," but for the most part, the study found male and female athletes’ answers were very close. 【小题5】 Although there were some differences between the groups -younger players, for example, like "playing different positions" more than older players-the groups shared lots of the same attitudes toward what makes sports fun.