User Groups & Who Participates in Sport
Who Takes Part in Sport?
Sport is for everyone — but not everyone experiences it in the same way. When sports organisations, councils and coaches plan activities, they need to think carefully about user groups: the distinct categories of people whose lives, responsibilities and backgrounds shape when, where and how they take part. Understanding user groups is the starting point for making sport genuinely inclusive.
There are twelve recognised user groups: gender, ethnic minorities, retired people and people over 60, families with children, carers, young children, teenagers, people with disabilities, single parents, people who work full-time, unemployed people, and people who are economically disadvantaged.
Gender
Men and women have historically participated in sport at different rates. While overall participation has become more balanced, gender still influences what sports are on offer, how much media coverage athletes receive, and whether someone feels welcome at a club. Sport England’s Active Lives survey consistently shows that women are less likely than men to meet physical activity guidelines. Initiatives such as the “This Girl Can” campaign have aimed to close this gap by challenging stereotypes around female participation.
Ethnic Minorities
People from ethnic minorities may face specific barriers to participation, including cultural expectations, language differences, a lack of visible role models, and sometimes discrimination. Sport has powerful potential to unite communities across ethnic lines, but that potential is only realised when clubs actively welcome all backgrounds. The proportion of Black, Asian and mixed-heritage athletes in elite sport varies enormously across disciplines.
Retired people and people over 60 may have more free time than working adults, but physical limitations, health conditions, or a lack of confidence can reduce participation. Sport for this group tends to focus on low-impact activities — walking football, swimming, bowls, and gentle yoga have all grown rapidly. Keeping older adults active reduces NHS costs and maintains independence. Walking football, for example, is now played in hundreds of clubs across the UK, giving retired people a social and physical outlet.
Families with Children
Families with children often struggle to find sports that all family members can enjoy together and that fit around school, childcare and work schedules. Cost is a major factor: kit, club fees and travel add up quickly when a family has two or three children. Facilities that offer family memberships or free junior sessions can make a significant difference. Many leisure centres now offer family swimming sessions or junior athletics days specifically to target this group.
Carers
A carer is someone who looks after a family member or friend who has a disability, illness or mental health condition. Carers often have very little time for themselves, and sport and physical activity may feel like a luxury they cannot afford. Targeted programmes — such as respite sports sessions where the person being cared for is also looked after — can open up participation for this group. Carers’ wellbeing is recognised as a public health priority, and regular physical activity significantly reduces carer burnout.
Young children (typically under 12) need sport and physical activity that is fun, safe and age-appropriate. Fundamental movement skills — running, jumping, throwing — are developed in these early years, and positive early experiences strongly predict adult participation. Schools and community clubs play the largest role here.
Teenagers face different challenges: peer pressure, self-consciousness, competing priorities such as exams and social media, and the transition from school sport to community clubs at age 16. Active Lives data shows participation drops sharply among 14-to-16-year-olds, particularly girls. Youth sport programmes that prioritise social connection alongside activity tend to retain teenagers better.
People with Disabilities
People with disabilities may have physical, sensory or cognitive impairments that affect how they can take part. Provision ranges from adapted mainstream sport — such as wheelchair basketball or blind cricket — to disability-specific events. Despite the inspiration of Paralympic athletes at Paris 2024, participation at grassroots level remains much lower than for non-disabled people. Physical access to facilities, specialist coaching and adapted equipment are all critical factors.
Sport England data consistently shows the lowest participation rates among people with disabilities, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and some ethnic minority groups. Addressing these gaps is a central aim of national sport strategy.
Single Parents and People Who Work Full-Time
Single parents carry childcare, domestic and financial responsibilities alone — meaning time and money for sport are in very short supply. Even a one-hour swimming lesson for a child requires arranging childcare for any other children. People who work full-time, particularly those doing shift work or long commutes, may only have early mornings or late evenings free. Gyms and leisure centres that open at 6 am or offer 45-minute lunchtime classes help reach this group.
Unemployed People and the Economically Disadvantaged
Economically disadvantaged individuals face direct cost barriers: club fees, kit, transport and facility entry fees. Unemployed people may have more time available but limited money. Concessionary pricing, free community sport schemes and lottery-funded programmes all attempt to widen access. The government’s “Holiday Activities and Food” programme is one example of using sport provision to reach low-income families during school holidays.
In exam answers, always use the precise user group names. Writing “old people” instead of “retired people / people over 60”, or “disabled” instead of “people with disabilities”, will lose marks because only the specification wording is credited. Similarly, “poor people” should be “economically disadvantaged” or “unemployed people” depending on which barrier you are describing. Precision matters — this is a closed list, not a general discussion.