Understanding golf: barriers and facilitators to youth female retention

[Truncated] This research aimed to determine the barriers and facilitators of female retention to golf. Prior research into female dropout from sport has been provided (Department of Sport & Recreation Australia, 2005; English Women’s Golf Association, 2007); however, this work was undertaken in the absence of a theoretical framework. The research reported in this thesis involved an examination of the three needs (competence, autonomy, and relatedness) discussed within SDT as important for the facilitation of self-determined motivation. Findings from this study provide a useful means to understanding motivational processes in women, particularly in the physical activity context. Active and Inactive female golfers were interviewed to develop a rich understanding of the factors that may encourage or impede retention to golf. Qualitative results revealed female’s strong desire to satisfy relatedness in the golf context. Active participants identified connectedness from parents, peers, and coaches, and golf clubs as important to retention, whilst Inactive players reported an absence of relatedness for these themes. Additional higher-order categories of competence and autonomy were explored and revealed a need for their satisfaction to foster more self-determined forms of motivation, as referenced by feelings of enjoyment...