Group concept mapping fun determinants among junior tennis players in the United States: An ecological systems perspective

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges facing sport worldwide is putting fun, player-centered experiences at the core of programming in ways that drive participation, and in turn, retention. Determinants of fun in youth-based, team sports have been investigated, however, individual sports, like tennis, also need sport-specific, data-driven information on which to position action plans and retention strategies rooted in optimizing fun. The current study used group concept mapping, an innovative mixed-method research design, and engaged a well-represented sample of junior tennis players (N = 667), aged 6–19, in the United States to investigate determinants of what makes tennis fun and the relative importance of those determinants to having fun. They identified 120 fun determinants, organized in 11 overarching thematic clusters, that they rated in three tiers of importance: primary importance (Match Play, Positive Coaching, Working Hard & Learning, Developing Mental Strength, Staying Active, Sportsmanship, Training with Coach), secondary importance (Ways of Playing, Hitting the Ball, Skill Building), and tertiary importance (Bonuses). These findings are considered in light of a (fun)damental sport ecosystems framework that extends the fun integration theory through an understanding of various environments and subsystems that influence fun. Overall, the findings can be used to inform actionable plans and strategies, i.e., coach education, parent support, program planning, and policies, to deliver fun tennis experiences that facilitate junior players’ athletic and personal development in ways that, ultimately, promote participation retention and prevent dropout.