For certain sports in particular it’s very important to have the right facilities, for example a swimming pool for swimming or courts for tennis or badminton. Such facilities can be provided by individuals or they could be organised by a team, club, or regional or national squad.

There are also a number of other organisations that provide facilities. Local authorities organise sports centres and outdoor pitches within their governing area for the general public. Private organisations also provide facilities for the public but these are accessed through more costly memberships. Sports governing bodies, on the other hand, provide facilities for training and performance for more professional athletes while Sport England focuses on ‘Centres of Excellence’.

How facilities are distributed and developed depends on a number of factors:

• demand: if a particular facility is required
• location: if it can be built in a particular area or if it’s even in the right place
• scope: if it can be easily accessed and if its size and location will allow it to function effectively
• funding: if there’s enough money to build it and keep it running

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Social groupings

Who you socialise with can have a major influence on you attitude to sport.

For example, if your peers share your passion for sport then they’ll motivate and encourage you. However, if they don’t share your interest then this may discourage you or they might him encourage you not to participate. Peer pressure is another important factor: this may encourage you to participate but it can also stop you from doing what you want.

Your family can also have a positive or negative effect. If they enjoy sport they can act as positive role models and encourage you to participate. However, if they don’t have an interest in sport then they might not be able to support you properly. They might even be biased towards one particular sport and try and push you towards that activity. Within the family, genetics also plays a role and you might have inherited good, or possibly bad, abilities.

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