Why do children participate in tennis?

To investigate the reasons motivating children to participate in tennis, the Participation Motivation Questionnaire was administered to 428 junior Australian tennis players (aged 10-15 years). Findings revealed that 'having fun', 'fitness' and 'skill development' were the most important reasons reported for participation. Several differences in participation motives based on gender, age and skill level of the players were found. Specifically, compared to the females, male tennis players were significantly more motivated by reasons related to achievement, status and energy release. As well, when compared to older players, the younger players were more motivated to participate by reasons related to affiliation, achievement, and status. In relation to skill level, the higher-skilled players reported reasons related to achievement and status as more important to their participation than did lower-skilled counterparts. These findings could assist coaches in developing junior tennis programs, and in maintaining participation rates and reducing the likelihood of children dropping out of tennis.