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agreed there was an article on channel 9 news last night on how participation in u-17 had dropped in footy from 70 teams to 26 so its not just our code thats struggling to retain kids and if it needs some creative thinking for clubs to field teams than so be it.the colts comp i weakening by the year and if some of the weaker teams need a leg up then thats what should be done.
This is very typical across all sports. When boys are boys they have sport and that's about it. When they begin young adulthood their lives become much more complex with many competing other interests music, xbox, schooling and probably and most importantly...ahem.. chasing after the furry stuff. Just can't keep kids (boys and girls as well) interested in their sport past 16 unless they are at the elite level.
Non sunt multiplicanda entia sine necessitate
Yeah but what has happened in the last 10, 15 years to see such a dramatic drop if U17s participating in footy (and other sports). When I was at school, most kids played some sort of sport whether it was rugby, hockey, surfing and we all still drank, went to festivals and chased beaver (not necessarily in that order).
well you're old school then.
Having this conversation with my PE teacher mate of mine just recently. Society has changed, sport (participation in) just doesn't occupy the same level of importance as it did even 20-30 years ago. kids get to 15 or 16 and the numbers drop dramatically. whether soccer, hockey, gymnastics whatever. Parents are telling them to focus on study or worried about getting some menial job to pay for an iPhone.
A sport such as Rugby has its own 'social traditions' attached to it we might say and may keep kids who play closer to each other socially, however, it also suffers from the stigma that it is violent and you will liable to pick up a very nasty injury which may effect you in later life and being extremely competitive where kids who have been running around in a Jersey for years then have to play others who get shipped in by the club from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and the like who are on diet plans, bigger physically, aggressive and competitive. It quickly discourages most kids - mums and dads more.
Non sunt multiplicanda entia sine necessitate
20 to 30 years ago no one worked on weekends
or at least rarely worked on weekends
now, if you have a part time or even full time job you'll be working most weekends if you are in a job sector that employs a high number of 17 to 18 year olds (e.g. retail)