SPARC Trends in Participation in Sport and Active Leisure 1997 - 2001

Overall trends

• Since 1997, the overall involvement of adults in at least one of the volunteer roles of coach, referee, administrator or parent helper (paid or unpaid) has remained static at 27%, including for both men and women.
• Among the age groups, however, the proportion of 18-24 year olds involved in one or more capacities as a volunteer has declined significantly from 30.8% in 1997 to 22.8% in 2001. Much of this is off-set by a significant increase in the proportion of 50-64 year olds involved, from 18.5% to 23.7% over the same period.
• There have been no significant changes between 1997 and 2001 in the involvement of adults in a volunteer capacity when considered by education level or income group.
• However, there are also a number of significant differences in the participation of adults in the different volunteer roles:
• While there has been no overall change in the proportions of adults involved in the capacity of coach/instructor, there has been a small but significant increase in the involvement of 50-64 year olds in these roles, from 6% in 1997 to 9% in 2001.
• The proportion of those involved as referees/other officials has declined overall since 1997 by a small but significant amount, from 8.4% to 6.7% in 2001. This decline has been most evident among men (from 10-11% in 1997-1999 to 7% in 2001). It has also been apparent among 18-24 year olds (declining from 15% to 9% over this period), 25-34 year olds (declining from 8% in 1999 to 4% in 2001) and 50-64 year olds (from 6.4% to 3.7% between 1999 and 2001). Among ethnic groups, the proportions of Maori and European adults involved in this capacity have also declined significantly, from 14% to 9% and from 8% to 6% since 1997 respectively.
• On the other hand, involvement as a parent helper has increased overall since 1997, from 12% to 14% in 2001. This is reflected in significant increases in the participation of men as parent helpers (from 9% to 12%), as well as in the participation of 35-49 year olds (23% to 27%) and 50-64 year olds (6% to 9%), and Europeans (from 11% to 14%) over this period.
• While there has been little change in the involvement of adults in the role of administrator overall, there have been significant changes among some groups, including men (declining from 11% in 1999 to 8% in 2001), 18-24 year olds (from 5% in 1999 to 2% in 2001), 25-34 year olds (8% in 1999 to 4% in 2001) and a significant increase in the involvement of 65+ year olds, from 5% in 1997 to 8% in 2001.

Ethnic groups

• There has been a significant decrease in the proportion of Maori young adults (those aged 18-24 years) who take part as a coach, administrator, parent helper or referee – a fall from 38% to 23% in 2001. On the other hand, Maori adults aged 50 years or over have shown a significant increase in the proportion involved in these roles from 16% in 1997 to 33% in 2001.
• Since 1997, European aged 18-24 years tend to be less likely to be involved in one of these volunteer capacities – the proportion dropped from 29% in 1997 to 25% in 2001, although this is not statistically significant. Other age groups show little change with the exception that there has been a significant increase in the proportion of those adults aged 50 years and over participating in these roles – from 15% in 1997 to 18% in 2001.
• There has been little change over time in the proportion of Pacific adults who are coaches, referees, official administrators, or parent helpers, either paid or unpaid – ranging between 28% and 31%.
• From 1997 to 1999 around one-in-five adults from Other ethnic groups (19%) was involved in a volunteer capacity, which has since fallen (though not significantly) to 13% in 2001; for men the proportion has fallen from around 21% to 12%, though again this cannot be considered a significant change.

Regional Sports Trusts

Except for Northland, overall participation in one or more volunteers roles (eg, as a coach, referee, official administrator, or parent helper – paid or unpaid) has not changed significantly between 1997 and 2001 in any other RST area. There are a number of changes among various sub-groups of adults within several RST areas, however. These are summarised below.

Significant changes in adults involved in volunteer roles among Regional Sports Trusts

I Significant increase in RST area overall, since either 1997 or 1999

D Significant decrease in RST area overall, since either 1997 or 1999

– No significant change overall, since either 1997 or 1999

Northland adults

• The involvement in sport as a coach, referee, official administrator, or parent helper by Northland adults has changed since 1999, with an increase in the participation of all adults people acting in one of these roles, from 19% to 32% (although it should be noted that in 1997 the overall participation in one of these capacities had been 31% - men and women show similar figures).
• This pattern is evident across all age groups, but especially for those aged 25-34 (from 31% in 1997 to 21% in 1999 and significantly increasing to 42% in 2001) and for those 50 years or over (significantly changing from 17% to 9% and increasing again to 20% for respective years).

North Harbour and Waitakere adults

• The proportion of men involved in a volunteer role has decreased significantly since 1999 from 29% to 19%.

Auckland adults

• The proportion of Auckland 25-34 year olds who act in a volunteer role has changed significantly from 27% in 1997 to 11% in 1999 and 23% in 2001.

Counties Manukau adults

• No significant changes are observable.

Waikato adults

• In 1999, the proportion of 18-24 year olds involved as a volunteer peaked at 45% (up from 26% in 1997) before falling to 19% in 2001 – among other age groups these rates have remained more constant over this period.

Bay of Plenty adults

• While overall participation in a voluntary role has remained constant since 1997, there are some marked differences in some groups with a peak in 1999 and a decline back to 1997 levels of participation by 2001, particularly among men (20%, 33% and 22% in respective years) and those aged 50 years or over (15%, 26% and 15% in respective years) – the latter pattern reflects significant changes.
• Among 18-24 year olds there is apparently a large drop in participation since 1997, from 25% down to 7% in 2001, although the base sample size for the latter is very small and this result should be regarded as indicative rather than conclusive.

Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu adults

• No significant changes can be observed.

Hawke's Bay and Gisborne adults

• For those aged 35-49 years, participation in at least one of these roles decreased from 39% in 1997 to 33% in 1999, before significantly increasing to 48% in 2001.

Wellington adults

• Involvement in sport as a coach, referee, official administrator, or parent helper has decreased significantly for 18-24 year olds between 1997 and 2001, from 36% to 16%. It significantly decreased for 25-34 year olds as well, from 33% in 1997 to 17% in 2001, but has more than doubled over this period for adults aged over 50 years, from 10% to 21%.

Tasman adults

• No significant changes can be observed.

Canterbury/Westland adults

• No significant changes can be observed.

Otago and Southland adults

• Men’s involvement in a capacity other than as a participant has increased significantly between 1997 and 2001 for in this region. In 1997, 25% of men acted as coach, referee, official administrator, or parent helper; by 2001, 37% of men are acting in at least one of these roles.

Older adults

• Involvement in one or more of the voluntary roles has increased significantly among older men, from 14% in 1997 to 19% in 2001, and also among 65-74 year olds from 10% to 18% over the same time-frame.