Belonging Before Behaviour: Why Sport Matters for School Attendance

Jodie Jasmin

Is it possible for us to feel a sense of belonging through sport?

Baumeister and Leary (1995) suggested that with regular contact, one can feel a sense of belonging. For an individual to feel they belong, it is important for people to have the perception that there is genuine concern and stability within interpersonal relationships, with two characteristics being of particular importance: regular contact and genuine concern.

Outside of the factors that we might consider to provide us with belonging such as marriage, romance, friendship, children or work success, could sports play a significant role in feeling as though one belongs?

Steen-Johnsen (2004) found that amongst communities with shared similar characteristics, feelings of belonging ensued. A high degree of interaction between members exercising in a traditional sport club was involved. However, it is worth noting that supplementary factors which may have contributed towards this outcome is characterised my members sharing similar ethnic background and gender.

Walseth (2006) study of young Norwegian Muslim women with immigrant backgrounds put forward that there are various forms of belonging which derive through sport. In comparing some of the responses from the young women involved in team sport to the characteristics of what a person “needs to maintain belonging through friendships (Chopik, 2017), romantic connections and familial bonds (Baumeister and Leary, 1995), key themes arose in terms of criterion which needs to be fulfilled in order to achieve belonging. For example, peak experiences, a sense of family (even during the bad times), reciprocity, social support, feelings of joy and sadness when the event was over.

Social support provided in sport as a factor towards belonging and positive mental health is also discussed by Hagiwara, et al. (2017) who concluded that Japanese female athletes in particular were likely to have enhanced mental health when recovering from sport injuries and in continuing with competitive sports.

Whilst social support is identifiable in team sports which can create belonging, can the same be said for sports where social support inevitably is lacking due to the type of sport such as swimming? Though a person may still be able to gain a sense of belonging through the various relationships attached to their sport for example the connections had with a physiotherapist or coach, these types of relationships could be considered to be more “motivational” rather than one of true belonging.

Belonging in sport can allow for positive psychological outcomes such as being held in high regard by others, healthy self-esteem and enables an athlete to have a positive view of themselves. Nevertheless, when an individual may have appeared to “let the team down” as some may have suggested from England’s Euro final 2021 when Marcus Rashford missed the penalty shoot-out, an onslaught of media abuse materialised. As did the discrimination towards Marcus Rashford’s ethnicity and social background.

This event at the time caused me to contemplate how Rashford dealt mentally with the heavy burden of missing the penalty shoot-out which generated intense emotion amongst the nation. Upon noticing the support provided to Rashford from his fellow team mates and the Mancunian community, this was uplifting and an example of how sport can ensure a sense of belonging, offer camaraderie and social support through difficult times.

What about young people who engage in sports?

A large prospective study (Frédéric N Brière et al. 2018) followed 17,550 adolescents (mean age ~14.4) over 1 year and found that sport participation predicted subsequent reductions in loneliness and social anxiety, even after adjusting for baseline psychological distress and sociodemographic factors. Importantly, the effect was strongest in adolescents with higher initial loneliness, suggesting sport may be especially protective for at-risk youth. This study did not find differences by sport type, frequency, sex, or age, indicating broad relevance across contexts.

Reductions seem most important in young people who were experiencing greater pre-existing psychological difficulty. The findings suggest that sport participation represents a protective factor that supports psychological resilience in at-risk youth.

Overall, the key takeaway from the study finds that adolescents who engage in sports tend to show lower loneliness over time compared with peers who do not participate.

What influence can sports have on young people who are frequently absent from school?

Evidence from school sport programmes shows that participation isn’t just about physical fitness — it’s tied to stronger school attendance and engagement. In evaluations of Youth Sport Trust initiatives, 77% of teachers reported improved attendance among students involved in sport-linked programmes, and 77% of young people experienced increased belonging to their school community.

We know that young people who feel connected socially through sport are more likely to see school as a place where they belong. This increases belonging and is a strong psychological predictor of attendance.

School sport clubs and activities provide meaningful social spaces beyond class, enhancing reasons students often want to be there. This is particularly impactful for disengaged or disadvantaged students.

The relationships formed in sport — with peers, mentors, and coaches — help anchor students socially within the school environment, a key factor in regular attendance

The Youth Sports Trust (2025) research also indicates that enrichment activities — including sports — are positively correlated with higher attendance, with many students saying these activities motivate them to attend school regularly. Adult-youth mentoring plus sport has been shown to improve positive school engagement and attendance.

This suggests that when schools offer meaningful, socially reinforcing sport opportunities, students are more likely to show up, stay engaged, and feel like they belong (Youth Sports Trust, 2025). The research also reinforces the importance of young people feeling they “belong” in the school community.

What are your thoughts or experiences on how sports could make an individual feel they belong?

References

Allen J, Kozub SA & Hall H (2004) Perceived belonging in sport scale: Construct and concurrent validity. Annual meeting of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, Vancouver, BC,. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 26 (Supplement), pp. S25-S25. http://journals.humankinetics.com/jsep-back-issues/jsep-volume-26-supplement-june/2004NASPSPAVancouverFreeCommunications

Baumeister, R. F. (2012). Need-to-belong theory. In P. A. M. Van Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of theories of social psychology (pp. 121–140). Sage Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446249222.n32

Hagiwara, G., Iwatsuki, T., Isogai, H., Van Raalte, J. L., & Brewer, B. W. (2017). Relationships among sports helplessness, depression, and social support in American college student-athletes. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 17(2), 753-757. [114]. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2017.02114

Walseth, K. (2006). Sport and Belonging. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 41(3–4), 447–464. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690207079510

Youth Sport Trust. (2023). Closing the attendance gap with sport and enrichment. https://www.youthsporttrust.org

Youth Sport Trust. (2023). Key facts: School absenteeism and the role of sport and physical activity. https://www.youthsporttrust.org

Centre for Young Lives. (2023). New research reveals positive link between enrichment and tackling the school attendance crisis. https://www.centreforyounglives.org.uk