Factors affecting participation
Environment, Disability, Gender, Age, Somatotype
Environment.
- Weather- If the weather is too hot dehydration is easily come by and if its too cold it may hurt to participate and you would lose interest
- Training- Training can only take part when the environment is suitable, e.g. a tennis player cannot train if the court is covered in snow and ice.
- Competing- Many activity's stop if the weather is poor
- Altitude- Being high above sea level makes training harder which makes the benefits better
- Humidity- Humidity makes performing very difficult and dehydration is hard to avoid
- Terrain- Terrain affects how well you can perform your chosen sport. e.g. Skiers need large hills and runners need flat ground.
Disability
Disability sports organisations such as EFDS and BPA help create oppertunities within sports for the disabled. They can do this by modifying the rules to suit the disabled more. e.g. passing forward in wheelchair baskerball
Somatotype
Mesomorph
Wedge shaped body, Highly muscular usually swimmers and weight lifters.
Endomorph
Pear shaped with small wrists and ankles. Usually sumo wrestlers and shot putters
Ectomorph
Tall, skinny not much muscle. Usually basketball players and high jumpers
Gender
Men & women
- Men have longer, heavier bones,
- Women carry more fat than men
- men have higher testosterone levels so bigger, stronger muscles
- Women tend to me smaller than men.
Age
Flexibility- We are most flexible at our teenage years so competing against older people would be unfair
oxygen capacity- Our capacity to transport and use oxygen effectively falls as we age
Injury and disease- as we age we become more prone to injury
Reaction time- as we age we get slower to react
Experience- Older athletes have more experience than younger athletes so younger athletes may feel intimidated to compete.