ABSTRACT
This chapter explores in more depth the distribution of sporting capital across different groups in the population, variations in the building blocks of sporting capital and the implication for levels of sustained participation in sport. It shows that there are structural variations in the levels of sporting capital that in turn explain variations in participation rates and raise broader concerns about the challenges involved for public policy. The second part of the chapter examines how people’s frequency of participation in sport and the types of sports they are likely to participate in are affected by their levels of sporting capital. It shows how sports that are more competitive, technically demanding and requiring greater organisation are likely to be attractive to those with high levels of sporting capital but less so for those with low levels. A different sporting capital profile for ‘fitness related sports’ shows them to offer a greater appeal as an entry into sport for those with low levels of sporting capital. The implications for the roles of national governing bodies of sport and for public policy more generally are discussed.
