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At a young age my mum introduced me to swimming as a means to help me become more physically active. She paid for my swimming lessons in which I attended every Saturday morning. Although I enjoyed swimming and became good at it I did it mostly because my mum encouraged me to wake up early (something I did not enjoy on the weekend). On most occasions I would just try to sleep through it but my mum would always end up getting me out of bed. After befriending new friends in secondary school who played for a basketball team, I was encouraged to participate in basketball. I could see this new friendship group as my sponsors who sparked my interested for basketball. Ever since basketball overtook swimming as my primary sport and is what I am most passionate about to this day.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Asian

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I’d say that I have always been actively involved in sports, particularly football. My parents were my initial sponsors as they introduced me to my first ever team, which I committed to staying with for over 7 years. They were effectively my first ever ‘sponsors’ and they continually attempted to persuade me into joining all after school activities relating to sport from a very young age. I have always enjoyed participating in sports due to its competitive nature and the idea that there is always a goal, whether it is individual or group oriented. Therefore, according to the interactionist perspective, my 'cost-benefit evaluation' of involvement was more inclined towards meeting my sporting obligations as a result of personal enjoyment and improved performance over time. Later on in life, I'd say my coaches and friends have also been active 'sponsored recruiters' as they have enabled me to develop many of the essential skills I need as an adult. Moreover, I am now able to play football alongside my brother at university which I believe has been really influential in keeping me dedicated to the sport: this has been described as ‘relationship entanglement’. Overall, despite the social identities that have helped me strive in football, I do also believe that a huge part of my involvement has been intrinsic in nature as football helps me relax and feel physically and emotionally well. My goal over time has shifted from wanting to succeed and participate at a more elite level, to now maintaining my physical fitness and developing my character both on and off the pitch.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White British

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I grew up in a very sporty family, in which I was encouraged from a young age to take part in football. I was heavily involved in sport from the age of 8/9, in which I would train at least 3 times a week. My parents made various sacrifices to help me develop my passion for football, ranging from financially investing in me playing to taking me training sessions and matches. In addition, my PE teachers and my football team coaches helped push me to my limits to reach my full potential. Having said that, my friends would be my ‘sponsor’ as they encouraged and motivated me to continue playing football with them both inside school and outside. Growing up with friends that played football contributed to my love for football and our competitiveness helped us to strive to become better players. I was very focused on football all throughout growing up in which it taught me many leadership and communication skills that benefit me in life today, both inside and outside of sport.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Black British/African

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I didn't grow up in a particularly sporting family and my primary school did very little to encourage participation; we were permitted to play football once a week with a sponge football with a chunk missing from it and our PE lessons often involved going for walks. And so, my 'sponsor' came in the form of my West African neighbors who introduced me to basketball and later, my secondary school peers who would play football every lunch time. Unfortunately, my secondary school's focus on sport and PE was also very lacking with no official school teams offering competition in any sport. However, this didn't stop me as at around twelve years old, sport had become a huge part of my life and of my identity with my peers. I found local clubs and competed at county level in basketball, with friends in football and traveled the south of the country competing in kickboxing throughout secondary school.
Although my passion for sport never wavered, I didn't fully commit to developing within one sport for different reasons, my basketball team disbanded with no others available locally and financial problems meant that I had to quit kickboxing. Despite this, I have picked up new sports to compete in at university and still play basketball socially as it helps me to relax and relieve stress.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Irish-British

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The very first sporting memory I had was playing with a sponge football in primary school. It was a great way to have fun during lunch breaks. Football was the sport that has always stood out the most for me. I remember joining the school football team when I was 9 years old. I was encouraged and motivated by my school coach. He was my main sponsor. He had a lot of faith in me and made me train with players 2 years above. He was always giving me opportunities to play and improve and was constantly convincing my parents to let me participate in local tournaments and matches.
Around this stage of my life, my friends were also my sponsors. We would always play football together at school and after school. We all  started taking it more seriously and  began watching and discussing matches. We would motivate each other to keep playing. Initially my parents were not as keen as I was on football, but they were still my sponsors. They would drive me to matches, wait outside during my training sessions and financially contribute to my football experience by buying boots, balls and kits. They also made sure I had tennis and swimming lessons during my childhood. They exposed me to many sports, as they believed that it would help make me a well-rounded individual.
Football was my main sport and so by the age of 17, I made a commitment to it. I joined a football development program and played at a much higher and competitive level. I started taking my training and diet more seriously. I really wanted to be a professional footballer and so a year later I was fortunate to go on trials for a couple clubs in Lübeck, Germany. I wanted to be able to take my football to the next level, but unfortunately  I was not ready to play men’s football and I was two months older than the cut-off age for youth football. I still play football a lot now and I am always constantly playing.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Black British/ African

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From the very moment I was born my initial sponsor was going to be my father from putting me in Tottenham baby suits to my Tottenham blanket while I was a baby. To spectating the team, play at White Hart Lane to watching my dad play football every Monday with his work colleague. It was through these experiences growing up that I knew I wanted to play football and one day in the future become a famous footballer where people would come to watch me play at White hart Lane. By the age of 9 my brother became my ‘sponsor’ as I would play football with his friends at the park all the time it was through this that I got picked up by a Sunday league coach who saw raw talent. Growing up I played for the team and my coach became my sponsor, this was by motivating and teaching me to become a better player, while growing up and playing football at school PE coaches saw talent in me from becoming my schools football team captain to running athletics at numerous amount competitions. a variety of sports that I could played from athletics to handball to football where I had quite a few opportunities to go play pro/semi-pro it was a sport I was playing from the age of 12 called Kho-Kho a traditional Indian sport. It was at the age of 16 where I realised that if I was committed, I could really go far in this sport. It was at the age of 17 where I made the England team who went on tour in India for the first time playing different states from all over. The England coach became my sponsor by developing my abilities further, it was at the age of 18 where I became the England team captain.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: British Indian

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my family is very sports oriented and full of professional athletes which is why i started playing variety of sports from an early age. my interest for basketball started when i first saw my uncle play at the age of 6/7.  My uncle was my biggest inspiration as he played professional basketball, and i knew that is what i wanted to do. From watching my uncle play basketball, i learnt various skills which is used in every day life such as communication, leadership, teamwork, etc. i would say my primary 'sponsor' was my uncle as he is the reason i started playing basketball. Growing up in a household full of athletes everyone was very competitive, so off court and on court i always tried my best and didn't like losing.
At age 9 is when i first started taking part in local league basketball here in the UK. we trained every Saturday and played on Sundays, because of my 'sponsor' and the bond i had with my uncle i always wanted to go and train as i know he would be there supporting me. As i grew older i started playing for the southern regional England  basketball as i got scouted through youth games at the age of 14. Achieving  a goal made me want to take it further which is why i started committing to the sport. Basketball is my passion so, i wanted to play professionally just like my uncle. Competing in higher level basketball influenced me to try my best to take it to another level and i was successful as i started representing England at the age of 16. I feel like i am getting close to my goal every day which is why i am still motivated, however because of injuries it restricts me from training everyday. I still play basketball weekly as it helps me stay physically, mentally and emotionally healthy.
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Mixed / other

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My first experience with sport started around the age of 4 years old, where I used to travel with my dad to football training/matches and watch him play and sometimes have a little kick about with the other kids. For this, I would say my father was my initial ‘sponsor’ as he introduced me to football. However, growing older and showing a greater interest in playing football, my dad got a little fed up and started saying ‘it’s a boy’s game, participate in something else’. From there on, my interest shifted from football to trying athletics (triple and long jump) and I started competing in school competitions and began winning medals. Eventually my friend from secondary school saw my interest in athletics and introduced me to his athletics club. He became my ‘sponsor’ alongside the athletics coach as they motivated me to stay committed and give maximum effort. It became my main sport and I started competing in regional competitions. Through the encouragement from my friend, I became dedicated and committed to training sessions and competitions and till this day it remains one of my favourite sports.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Black Caribbean

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After years of focus on athletics and swimming I had to
decide which sport I would focus on once I started University as the training sessions I had previously been able to juggle now clashed. I decided to try something completely new.

So, the main sport I now participate in I did not begin until I came to University at the age of 18. Although my main ‘sponsor’ for participating in lacrosse was my mother. My mother played lacrosse when she was a similar age and really enjoyed the values of the game such as team- work, and the intricate skills the sport demands. Now I live away from home and at University the coach and my team-mates encouraged me to carry on training and competing, they quickly became my main ‘sponsored recruiters’ after initially entering and trying the sport. I was then elected Women’s Captain this was huge in terms of an influence to deepen my involvement in the sport. This made me committed to the team and the club to carry out my role, and in turn made me more passionate and driven to succeed in the sport.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White British

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I have always particpated in sport ever since a early age. the initial recrutiment was that of my parents  at a young age I was in swimming lessons due to my mum wanting me , so I didnt miss out and not learn to swim like her. As I got older I stuck to swimming and graudally progressed through the squads , but I had now starting taking dance classes. Whilst  I was at school I was always interested in sport and was in many teams and loved participating in school PE lessons. At the age of about 12 I decided to stop dancing. However, I was still swimming and now taking part in athletics due to the my dad's encouragement due to him being an international athlete himself. A few years later I stopped competively swimming as my athletics became a bigger enjoyment and achievement for me. Athletics has always been a big part of my life and very family orinteated as I train with my brother and our dad is the coach . The main part of my sporting enjoyment and participation was very faimly involved and they have been my biggest "sponsor"  in helping me get to level that I am at today and providing the emotional and financial suport for many different aspects of my career.
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White/ British

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When growing up sport was a massive part of my life. My primary school, teachers and parents had a big influence on my sports participation. I was always very keen to play all sports at school and loved the PE lessons. I have had a few main sports through school years and finally university. My first main sport was cross country and football. This was due to it being the main sports at my primary school and the school was very successful in these sports. My parents were all very supportive with all of my sports, they used to drive me to all training sessions, games,  competitions and pay for any entry fees, training sessions and kit. Going into secondary school the main sports were hockey and athletics. I enjoyed these sports very much so I continued with these instead. My first actual passion within sport was athletics. I got my first coach to which she was a big influence on my sporting life. Having a coach and training quite a few times a week helped me really specialise in the sport and this gave me the opportunity to go from school level, to county to national level. This coach I had was a large part in my life, spending many hours together week after week, 1 to 1 for over 7 years made us close, she watched me grow up from a primary school student to going to university. She was a massive part of my life teaching me valuable lessons.
Once I joined University I had to make a decision of whether to keep up with athletics and train in small groups on Wednesday evenings ensuring that I would miss any social events for sports to train. I decided to pursue hockey at university as it is much more of a social sport as it is a team sport instead of individual. A reason for my commitment to hockey now is that I play with many of my close friends and playing in a team is such a good way of bonding with others and it is highly enjoyable. Sport has taught me to be confident, organised and learn useful leadership skills.The skills that sport has taught me can help me for everyday life.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White British

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From since I could remember, I have always enjoyed participating in sport, especially within PE lessons at school. I was a member of almost every sports team. However, playing basketball was and is still my passion. My mother and my older brother both played basketball at high levels, which I believe influenced me to also have an inate enjoyment for the sport. Growing up watching my older brother practice in the garden, as well as playing in front of crowds, was extremely inspiring. This resulted in me playing for my school team and then a local club, which as I developed as a player, gave me the opportunity to play at county level and play all around the England. Whislt playing at this club for around 7+ years, my coach was also a big influence to me wanting to become better. He would always push me to want to do the best I can in everything I do, not just in basketball, but in every aspect of life. He became a real father figure to whom I extremely respect and care for. He showed me that hard work could also be fun, which is why I never lost interest in the sport and have continued playing even now at university.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Black, African & Caribbean

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In terms of initial recruitment, my family had a large influence on my involvement in my main sport. I was inspired by my older brother, who was playing football in a local league, as I used to regularly attend his games from ages 4 to 7, along with my father and the rest of my family. I began when my father noticed how interested I was in football and he brought to my first team - effectively acting as my first 'sponsor'. Growing up, I had also been around my two older male cousins, who played alongside my brother in the same teams, so I observed how they trained amongst themselves and played in games and applied it to myself when I joined my first team. I remained committed to my sport after a year as my father trained me to get better, sacrificing his time to train me with football along with helping my sister pursue athletics (track and field) and my brother - both sports. Additionally, a large reason why I stayed to my main sport was because I enjoyed it greatly - the relationships I made, the confidence it gave me and the support and engagement I had from my parents and coaches, even during tougher times when I fell out of love with my sport. Nowadays, I remain the only one who is still actively involved in their sport as I seek to compete at higher levels and eventually progress to a professional level.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Black British/ African

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Growing up, my family had a massive influence on the sport in which I chose to love. From a young age Football was a sport I found myself participating in the most. A huge impact of this came down to my brothers commitment to the sport as well as my school friends. My initial 'sponsor' to support me with this became my parents who both allowed me to take up the pathway of becoming an elite footballer, as they could see the enjoyment and benefits football was giving to me. They both sacrificed their time and efforts to give me the opportunity to progress through the sport, as well as cover huge amounts of financial costs which consisted of; transport, clothing, and equipment. As a result of the  commitment from my parents, it allowed me to play and compete in elite environments from a young age having an immense impact on my career now in football, currently playing professionally. This was definitely the driving force of my commitment, as I felt obligated to commit to the sport, from all their support and engagement. Overtime, my coaches have also become my 'sponsors' allowing me to continuously thrive within football, showing trust and confidence in my ability to perform at my best. The relationship off the pitch with my coaches also influenced my decision to still compete and perform at a professional level.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White, English

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As a young child, I was very keen to participate in sports, and I could say a huge part of that was the influence of my primary school PE teacher. She became my first 'sponsor' as she realised I was one of the few girls who wanted to do sport, so she provided the facilities and opportunities to come to after school sessions in netball and athletics, providing the fundamental knowledge I would need to further excel my abilities. Soon enough, my parents became my 'sponsors' as they saw the enjoyment and benefits I was getting out of the sports, and my mum further became a strong influence in my decision to partake in Irish dancing which I carried on until 16 year olds. My mum saw my commitment and enjoyment in Irish dancing and sacrificed her time to allow me to get to the classes, and travel the country and to Ireland to compete in high level competitions, the peak being the World Championships. My dad was a sponsor to myself in my other sport of athletics, which he too sacrificed time and money for me to attend sessions, provide the equipment and clothing needed and the support to push me. When I was doing athletics and Irish dancing at the same time, I learnt to develop certain characteristics which have significantly aided me today- confidence, driven, decisive and organised. The benefits I gained from these sports have been beneficial throughout my life and outside of sport. My teacher from Irish dancing and my main coach from athletics became my main 'sponsors' and helped me stay committed to the sports and allow me to progress in the sport. In both athletics and Irish dancing the friendships I had made, further influenced my commitment to sports and to keep taking part.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White British

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I was first introduced to football at the age of 7/8 where my dad signed me up for a local team in my area. At first, I could say that my dad was the only 'sponsor'. My dad has done this through driving me to and from training sessions and matches. As I was getting older my friends started to act more of a secondary ‘sponsor’ as we started to travel for tournaments such as 5 aside/7 aside where we had some success. Me and my friends had similar interests and hobbies which made me stay committed to football in my teenage years. In secondary school, I started to become less committed to the sport because I had a bad relationship with my football coach in school as well keeping up with school work. However, as I grew older, I managed to organise my time which allowed me to go back to football which I loved since I was a kid. Football also brings taught me a few skills of commitment, confidence, teamwork and decision making where I can apply it to my everyday life outside of football. To this day I still participate in football and train regularly.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White, Other

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Throughout my life I have always been involved in a variety of sports from Cricket to Athletics. As I got older I would not be able to commit to multiple sports due to a lack of enjoyment time. Around the the age of 14 I began to focus more on football and athletics. My first sponsors would be my P.E Teachers and coaches as they encouraged me to take part in sport and facilitated in taking me to matches and competitions. When I started at university I planned to compete in the same sports as well as sample new ones. After sampling American football and discovering that I not only enjoyed it but had potential to be very good at it, I decided to commit to this sport. I was not able to continue in the other sports because the teams trained at the same times. Over time, reputation has played a major part in my commitment to this sport as I have gone on to win competitions and now play for the national champions. Another reason for my commitment is relationship entanglement as most of my friends at university are also players on my teams.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Black British/Caribbean

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From the age of 4, I was involved in Sports, mainly swimming, but it allowed me to develop key fundamental learning skills physically and psychologically such as good coordination, good reaction time and increased my endurance in the different sports I have played throughout all the years. My parents always encouraged me to take part in any other sports as I have always liked to play every sport that has been introduced to me from a very young age. I carried on swimming until I achieved all 14 badges and then stopped in 2011 when I then started to play for a football team from under 10s to under 15s where I won the League and the Cup Trophy with my team in the same season. I then stopped playing football to focus on my tennis. I started playing tennis competitively for the Lawn Tennis Association in 2011 until 2016 where I stopped playing competitively to focus on my studies in Sixth Form. I have also played tennis and represented Brunel University in the First team during the first year. My ‘sponsor’ throughout my life has been my Mum and Dad who has always encouraged and helped me to develop in all the sports I wish to take part in and competitively compete in from the age of 4. They have also helped me to be an Olympic Torch Bearer as I held the 2012 Olympic Torch on the 26th of July 2012, a day before the opening ceremony with help from another sponsor in the form of Coca Cola being my representative as well. It was also the extra support, attention and commitment my parents put in in order for me to be at the standard I was at in swimming, football and later on tennis.

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: British Indian

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From around the age of 6 onwards I was playing many sports including gymnastics, swimming, badminton, football, netball and athletics. My initial 'sponsor' was my mum as she used to play netball in her youth. At the age of 8 when I committed to regular netball training sessions, my mum remained my 'sponsor' as she took me to and from training sessions, tournaments and matches. When I joined secondary school, my secondary 'sponsors' if you like became my teachers as they took school teams to and from matches, ran training sessions and we had a good rappor with our school netball teacher. When I got to the age of 17 and passed my driving test, I became more independent as I started to be able to take myself to training sessions and matches and motivate myself more by commiting to gym and other fitness sessions to enhance my netball performance. To this day, netball has been a massive part of my life and my mum has always played a massive part in supporting and motivating me to play at a prem level; even now she is still sort of a 'sponsor' to me as she comes to support me during uni matches, home matches and tournaments. All sports that I participating in from childhood to today have taught me life traits that I need such as commitment, dedication, confidence, decision making and people skills etc. that I would not of inherited to a high standard if I did not regularly compete and train.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White/British

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I was first introduced to sport by my mum through swimming lessons at an early age. She felt it was important to be safe around water and it to be a vital life skill to be able to swim, therefore my initial sponsor was my mum. However after completing the swimming badge scheme I was talent tested for diving at school. Due to my early interest in swimming both of my parents encouraged me to try out diving as it wasn't as popular as swimming and may bring me more opportunities. Throughout my career I've had several coaches but I would say my coach at the age of 8-11 acted as my main 'sponsor' motivating me to continue progressing by learning new skills and thriving in competition scenarios. I competed from the age of 7-18 both nationally and internationally, needing the commitment of my dad who took me to and collected me from every training session (6 times a week) and my mum who funded and traveled with me to competitions all over the country. As I was training most days of the week my training partners and several coaches became my 'sponsors' helping me to thrive in the sport and allowing me to enjoy my time training and competing for many years. This made my commitment to my sport easier however it was difficult to accept  my lifestyle had to be very different to other peers of my age, as I didn't have time to socialise outside of school hours and often missed out on school trips, as I needed to be at training. My training partners made this a lot easier as they then acted as my main friendship group and we often socialised together between or after training sessions and at competitions.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity:  White British

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Since I remember myself, I was playing many sports with my friends. There was one special sport in my heart though, football. It has always been the number one for me. The person who introduced me on it, was my dad. He was ‘my sponsor’ as he always encouraged me to become goalkeeper like him. He used to buy me goalkeeper gloves and football boots as presents, and I always remember myself being so keen and excited to go out there and try them on with my friends. When I started secondary school, I took it more seriously and I sign my first academy contract with Fulham academy. That was the time where I thought to myself, If I work hard and I commit to it, I can actually go higher and achieve something great. Later at the age of 17, and after a lot of work and commitment, I finally sign my first professional contract with Brentford football club. All this hard work, motivation and multiple disappointments as certain stages of my life, paid off and eventually I was getting paid to do what I loved the most since I was a kid, playing football.

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: White other

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During my childhood years, aged 7-11, I was encouraged to participate in several sporting events at my school, such as swimming, football and athletics. My main sponsor was my P.E teacher, who encouraged me to take part in the upcoming sporting events which were at my school. I got weekly updates via email from her about activies that I would find interesting. The teacher was always positive and gave constructive feeback when I needed it. I found myself heavily involved in sport in my later teenage years (16-19) due to my commitment to a local football team, in which we competed in the local league. This was due to my Highschool P.E teacher as they had introduced me to the connections which had led me to the local football team. I was also able to travel across the UK during my time at highschool due to the competitions that took place for swimming and athletics. One of the key reasons for my interest and participation in sports was due to the support and connection with my highschool P.E teacher.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity : British Indian

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I didn't get heavily involved in one sport until about the age of 14/15. Therefore I think my main sponsor was the football coach who came to my school, and informed us of sessions we could attend outside of school as well. This coach had great energy and enthusiasm which made us as participants want to come back every week, and become very committed to the session. Another thing that I think made him a clear, positive sponsor was that I had a mass of opportunities due to him. I was lucky enough to be able to play football in various UK cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and at St George's Park. I was also able to go abroad and play in a football competition in Norway. Lastly, he was a big facilitator in me being able to complete my level one football coaching badge and get a job at QPR FC, which I  love doing. He is a massive reason as to why I started and why I continue to work in football and play it.

Gender: female
Ethnicity: White British

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During early childhood, I was encouraged to participate in a number of sports, including, football, swimming, fencing, athletics. At this point in life my dad was my 'sponsor', as he influenced me through his own actions as a sportsman to participate. At the age of 11, when I became committed to netball, both my parents were my sponsors, with my mum taking me to training and my dad taking me to competitions and matches. When I started secondary school, netball became a big part of my life and I decided that it was going to become my main sport due to the influences of my teachers and parents. Moreover, my teachers also became my sponsors. As I got older and became more involved in the sport, I began to become more independent in taking myself to training and matches. All sports, in particular netball taught me commitment and dedication, which are major factors as to why I continue to play.

Gender: female
Ethnicity: Black British/African

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My initial sponsor was my mum, as she encouraged me to join an athletics club at the age of 11. Before this, both of my parents, being my first sponsors, encouraged me to try many sports, such as dancing, ice skating and swimming. As my mum was a dancer, I started dancing at the age of 4 up to 12. When I started secondary school athletics became a big part of my life as my peers and teachers began to encourage me to take part in school competitions all the way up to national competitions, therefore they also became my sponsors. I then made a commitment to athletics, consequentially I had to stop ice skating, and began training more seriously and therefore produced goals and aims for the future. I then started to understand the commitment I had to make to my sport, which made it hard to socialise outside of training. As I have grown older my commitment to athletics has also grown, and I have gained more sponsors, such as my coach and my training partners. My commitment was made easier through the support of my sponsors, especially that of my parents.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White British

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My first influence to play rugby was from my dad who was my 'sponsor' - he used to play throughout his childhood/teenager years so took me down to my local club as that's what his dad did for him. From here, my friends would invite me to other local clubs and these peers can be seen as my other 'sponsors'. I think that once your friends have got you involved in a sporting commitment where you are training a few times a week, this leads to entanglement. You struggle to leave the sport because you have a commitment to your friends who first introduced you to the sport. Also, I think as you get older and have more commitments outside of sport, you have to weight up the pros/cons of remaining committed to your training. I had a strong commitment to my teammates but I also believed that continuing playing rugby would benefit me physically and in other areas, which means I still play regardless of the time it takes up. I believe that if I did not have a strong intrinsic motivation to play rugby, I would not have stayed as committed. As you get older there are more decisions to be made more frequently, such as the opportunity to go out more, working, overseas opportunities. I think my intrinsic motivation to play and stay involved has impacted my commitment.

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From the age of 3 I was involved in Gymnastics which developed my fundamental learning abilities which I have applied to many sports throughout my life span. I was encouraged to take part in a variety of sports by my parents and physical education teachers since a young age. I was fortunate enough to have a father in the field of sports who guided me and was also committed to be my boxing coach. I committed into Boxing when I made the transition from being a school’s national champion in judo which was my main sport. I started taking my boxing career more serious at the age of 17 and was  training at least 4 times a week. My ‘sponsor’ throughout my life has been my Dad who has encouraged me to develop my boxing techniques and is always supporting me. He also understands the importance of weight control, dieting and the time management needed in Boxing as he himself was a former boxer. It was also the extra support and attention which developed me and engaged me to stay and become involved in Boxing.  This sport allowed me to relax and only concentrate on what I had to do in the gym and avoided all distractions and therefore kept me out of trouble.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: British Indian

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I started playing badminton from the age of five; my mum was my ‘sponsor’. As a ‘sponsor’,  she played this sport from a young age and encouraged me to play the sport regularly, to gain the qualities and skills needed to be a high level player.
As I transitioned into high school, my enthusiasm and existing knowledge of badminton led me to become the captain of the girls team. As a team captain, I displayed my commitment to the sport by giving up my time to help my team improve their skills. Therefore, during my high school years, I played badminton at school during the week and at a local club on the weekend.
After I started my A Levels, my involvement in badminton reduced as there was no girls team playing in my age range at school. However, I continued to play the sport at my local club on the weekend, where I received professional coaching, and I continue to do so.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: British Indian

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I was introduced to a variety of sports from a very young age. I started swimming lessons from 12 weeks old till I was 10 years old. My family also ran a Sunday league football team, so I had first hand experience of the commitment it takes to make sport successful. Initially my main sport was dance, I did it for 16 years, which I did outside of school. During my secondary school years I was mainly involved in netball and athletics. I became very good in Shot put, so joined a club at 15. When coming to university I decided to put all my focus into netball because it helped me socialise more than athletics. I initially started netball because my mum played to a high level as a teenager, her influence encouraged my commitment to the sport.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Black British/Caribbean

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From the age of 5, my mum was my 'sponsor' to getting involved in sport. This was due to her involvement in netball from a child and my 'sponsor' wanted me to have a similar experience in sport. I began participating in a wide range of sports including, netball, football, hockey, athletics and dance (ballet). After 2 years of participating in all the sports and deciding which sports I enjoyed the most and wanted to progress and grow in, I then committed to participating in just athletics and dance. My sponsor was a great driving force, supporting me through all of the competitions and exams, having a large belief in me and knowing the potential I had in both sports. Both sports taught me if I wanted to progress I needed to be both committed and dedicated however, to at the same time ensure I was enjoying myself as this is ultimately when the best progress and achievements happened. All of these traits I learned through my sports have been transferred to day to day life.

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White British

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Starting from the age of 6 I was thrusted into football world by my Dad who was my 'sponsor'. Upon my main sport being football, being a very active person allowed me to transition into other sports like cricket, tennis and basketball. I had support and multiple influences from family members and friends to keep pushing and working hard on my football ability. They would encourage me to go to every football session to try and do well in every match and cup competition I went too. Furthermore, I had bug influences from 2 people being my coach for my local team and my PE teacher whom, instilled a sense of drive and passion for the game I never had during my teenage years. These paid off as I was able to compete in various competitions like the London youth games with my district team and play against multiple academies. Commitment to these events were never an issue as I was always supported and pushed to do my best and attend to get valuable experiences and make friends along the way, further boosting my confidence.

Ethnicity: Black Caribbean
Gender: Male

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From a very early age, my parents decided to take up swimming lessons to improve my water confidence and initially to become safe in water, however, I quickly progressed my swimming skills and was training to compete at the age of 7. My parents then decided to make me follow in my two older brothers footsteps to become a regional swimmer at my local swimming club. The commitment required, from both myself and my parents, within competitive swimming is huge due to the demotivating early morning practices and unsociable training times. My commitment to my swimming has also expanded into my job as I became a swimming teacher/coach at the same club when I was 16. Another sport that was influenced on me was football due to the success of my brothers. My father encouraged me to begin playing football because he wanted to watch a son to play outfield instead of in goal like my brothers. However the main sponsor for me to advance in football was my first ever coach who nurtured me so much, that he ended up watching every game I played after leaving the club. His passion for my progress in the sport encouraged me to reach higher levels in football.

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White British

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Since a young age, I loved to participate in a variety of sports and had an interest in playing football. This was mainly due to the influence that my family had as I would always be watching and playing football with them as well as them teaching me new skills. Additionally, they would encourage me to take part in our community sports tournament where I was able to showcase my skills and make new friends. In primary school, the sponsorship from my PE teacher also influenced my involvement in football as being a girl they saw I was a keen player and was motivated to improve my skills, hence why they encouraged me to join the football club which took place during lunch times and after school. At the age of 10/11 I became committed to football where I carried on playing it at secondary school and was part of the school football team. I enjoyed playing football because I was able to compete against other schools and play with other females who also had the same interests as me. My friends also motivated me to stay committed as they would always come and support me during the matches which also boosted my confidence.

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An initial sponsor for me was my dad who is highly active and encouraged me to play football from a very early age, by taking me to the park and playing the garden etc. This then developed to me joining a team at 5/6 which allowed me to experience coaching and therefore have more sponsors who helped me to develop in the sport. The club provided a commitment to the sport for me and made it an obligation to go to training and matches weekly. At the ages 16-18 I was committed to playing for a number of teams at different levels due to the overlap between youth and adult sport meaning that I had a number of commitments and experienced a minor case of burnout, meaning that I cut back on engagement.  Friends were also a strong motivator for sport as they all participated so a lot of our socialising would be going for a kick about or going to the gym.

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My initial involvement in athletics occurred at the age of 8 when a parent actively encouraged my dad to take me to the local athletics club after watching me at a primary schools sports day. My dad was my first sponsor, who took me to join an athletic club. Pre-athletics I was seeking an involvement in sport generally; this turned into sport specific seekership after the initial introduction to athletics. Through sponsorship from my parents and sibling, who provided me with opportunities to encourage my involvement, and myself de-emphasizing my commitment to alternative extra-curricular activities, I become immediately committed to athletics. My sponsorship through my parents enthusiasm was the driving force to my initial commitment, as this made me feel obligated to commit to the sport. Then my athletics friends acted as sponsors as I was drawn to the sport through the ties of their friendship. This initial commitment led to the consolidation of athletics identity, which reinforced my decision to continue to commit to athletics. Entanglement with the sport, where my dad became an athletics coach and my sister joined the same athletics club as myself, aided the confirmation of my athlete role identity, and therefore my commitment.
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White British

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During my early childhood, my earliest memories was my Father's influence in me and my siblings to participate in physical activity; my father himself is an health fanatic as it is something that was inflicted on him by his father and as a result he had become very passionate about. I would definitely say that my introduction of sports was sponsored by my father as, he would always ensure that me and my siblings, woke up in the morning had a nutritious breakfast and a morning fitness session, usually incorporating various circuits and martial arts as that is his speciality. The sessions began being quite routinely. My father allowed me to become exposed to a different aspect of Sport and the sessions allowed me to retrieve intrinsic benefits as I was reaching my personal fitness and achievement goals. At a young age, I recognised my talent for 100m Sprint Athletics and due to my fathers sponsorship I joined the borough team, partaking in competitions and training regularly, I feel that my commitment for Sports came during this period as I recognised my talent for 100m and it was where I formed my identity, as I felt most that I fit in there as I was competent at what I was doing.

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A massive influence for my involvement of sport would be the community which I grew up in which almost forced me into playing sports, specifically football. In my community of South London you have numerous opportunities and negative influences such as gangs etc. and a good way in which to stay away from that life and keep on a straight and narrow path is through playing sports in order to keep yourself busy and distracted. Being good at football within the community can also gain you respect and friends which helps massively to avoid trouble.  A further influence which got me involved in sport was the rewards I saw from participating, at the age of 8 I got scouted by local premier league football team Crystal Palace and was there until age 15. The thought of potentially being able to become a professional footballer and get a large sum for performing heavily influenced my participation in sports. Sponsorship in the sense of my mum, siblings and also coaches helped to influence my participation levels in sports. My older cousin who was a role model to me also played for crystal palace and I would often go and watch his games from a young age so I feel that also played a huge part in influencing my sport participation.

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Personally, I believe that my family had a massive involvement in my main sport that I play which is football because from young I always liked watching and playing football so most of my family  pushed me to play football and practice on my skills.Even when I was in primary school almost everyday I was playing football before and after school because I enjoyed football so much. I wasn't really interested in any other sports apart from football. I'd say at the age of 7 was when I started to take football seriously  and be committed to football which I enjoyed a lot because I was able to play football with my friends, showcase my skills in front of other coaches and parents watching. I was very motivated from young to be the best I could be on the pitch and later on in my football career when I started to get noticed by other professional football clubs, I was training even harder and was  even more committed to football to try and get signed at an academy. Also with the support of my parents they also helped me to stay committed to football and try guide me to do well in this sport.

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I'd say my parents especially my dad impacted on my involvement in sport through testing out which sport suited me and that I enjoyed especially one that I would commit to, to show I was serious about something. It also become something that we could do together and empathised the notion of 'sponsored recruitment'. I'd say I was about nine when I committed to Athletics and wanted to compete. I did not at first take an interactionist approach as I was not committed to getting up early and was not doing it for my own benefit but, just to please my parents. However, when people took an interest in me I saw a 'cost benefit evaluation' that if I participated and competed and did well I would be praised and could win medals and trophies as an incentive. Thats when I became involved as it gave me an identity and sense of self.  I think another influence that impacted my decision to be involved in athletics was friends and my sister as she did athletics too. By having a social element this can be seen as "seekerskhip" as I was also motivated to be involved with new people that I had not met outside of school which also made involvement in sport more enjoyable, as it made me work on my social skills as the end goal was to gain more friends as a result of it.
Ethnicity: Black/White British
Gender: Female

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My mother was very influentiallll