A magnifying glass on the 11-24 age group, where "a wealth of experiences" but also "some critical issues" emerge
More than half of San Marino residents between the ages of 11 and 24—52% to be precise—are "active and registered with some sort of sports federation." Then things change, with a "significant drop in the 20-24 age group," following a previous decline "already after the age of 13," presumably due to the transition "to upper secondary school," i.e., high school. But there's more.
The analysis is reported in the book "Youth and Sport in the Republic of San Marino," produced through research by the Department of Human Sciences at the University of San Marino and edited by Anita Magalotti. Presented today at the headquarters of the San Marino National Olympic Committee (CONS), in the Serravalle Multieventi complex, the volume highlights the "wealth of sporting experiences and, at the same time, some critical issues" present on the island, with the aim of "contributing to further qualitative development," according to the book's text.
Through interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, and documents, the author analyzed the current situation in 2022 and offered a series of interpretations on the "relationship between sport and school, the quality of promotional campaigns, and the strong orientation toward the competitive dimension."
Research by the University of the Republic of San Marino also allowed for a comparison between female and male participation, which revealed "a strong imbalance," with girls remaining at 36%. Among the reasons cited were "machismo, differences in goals and interests, competition, and interpersonal and emotional difficulties that make it difficult to cope with the pressure of competitive sports." Expanding the figures to all ages, in San Marino, the majority of women and girls on the women's list participate in swimming, gymnastics, and volleyball. On the Italian list, the top three spots are occupied by soccer, swimming, and cycling.
Returning to the decrease recorded from the age of 13 onwards, and in particular between the ages of 20 and 24, “the main reasons that emerged include the limited possibility of choosing the level of commitment required, the high pressure from coaches and the environment, the impossibility of reconciling school commitments or a change in interests and priorities”.
The work, published by FrancoAngeli, also offers perspectives and analyses on the characteristics of training and competitions, relationships with schools, and the profiles of coaches and families. It also delves into special sports and offers a comparison with the Emilia-Romagna region.