The Swedish Cheerleading Federation invites you to a network meeting to explore why senior athletes are leaving cheerleading. We welcome everyone interested in this important discussion, including board members, sports directors, and coaches.
Date: November 4, 2024
Time: 18:00-19:00
Registration: HERE
Background
Cheerleading in Sweden is facing challenges in retaining athletes, particularly those in upper secondary school and beyond (ages 16-25). Unlike other sports, the participation curve in cheerleading dips sharply during these years. To better understand this issue, the Federation has undertaken efforts to identify the main barriers preventing athletes from staying in the sport, as well as what factors motivate them to continue. It has also been observed that the absence of a clear progression ladder places too much emphasis on short-term competition results, potentially leading to an unhealthy training environment and neglecting long-term athlete growth.
The Seniors in Cheerleading project was launched to address these concerns by gaining insights into why senior athletes quit or continue and creating a strategic plan for establishing a progression ladder that supports both retention and recruitment.
Learn more about the Seniors in Cheerleading project HERE.
An initial survey, consisting of in-depth interviews, was conducted in collaboration with Ungdomsbarometern in the fall of 2022. The findings revealed clear trends and strong engagement, providing a foundation for further investigation.
”In 2023, the Swedish Cheerleading Federation published a report exploring the reasons why senior athletes choose to either leave or continue in the sport. The report, authored by Susanne Meckbach, Ph.D. in Sports Science, is based on interviews with 48 current and former athletes.” It highlights both positive and negative aspects of leadership in cheerleading. While many athletes praised the sense of team unity, camaraderie, and fun activities, others reported negative experiences involving favoritism and even threats from some leaders. Read Susanne’s report HERE.
Following this, the Federation continued its efforts in collaboration with Carolina Lundqvist, Associate Professor in Psychology and Sports Psychology at Linköping University. A quantitative survey was conducted to deepen the understanding of why senior athletes either stay or leave the sport.
Digital Meeting
The results of this survey are now complete and will be presented by Carolina at the meeting. Key findings indicate that dissatisfaction with leadership, injuries, high pressure, and poor team atmosphere are major reasons why athletes quit. The study surveyed 211 current athletes and 73 former athletes aged 15 and older. The project was funded by the Swedish Cheerleading Federation, with some of the findings to be published in the Journal of Sports Sciences. Learn more about Carolina’s article HERE.
