Author(s): NAKAMURA, Y., TAKEDA, T., KAWANISHI, M., Institution: HOKUSHO UNIVERSITY , Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 1411

INTRODUCTION: Beachball is a minor sport like volleyball that was invented in Asahi Town, Toyama Prefecture, Japan in 1978. It was originally a sport for agricultural workers to relieve back pain, but it has now spread nationwide and is contributing to regional development in various regions. In a previous study, Ingledew & Markland (2008) revealed that sports behavior such as personal attributes and participation frequency differ depending on the purpose of activity in major sports, but there has been no verification of minor sports. The purpose of this study was to clarify the sports behavior characteristics of Beachball participants as a minor sport from the activity purpose, and to contribute to the future promotion of regional sports.
METHODS: The survey was conducted by questionnaire surveying 407 participants of tournaments held in Japan between August and September 2024, and 314 valid responses (77.1%) were obtained. The questionnaires were distributed and collected directly to participants at the reception desk of the tournament. The survey included personal attributes, activity purpose, and sports behavior (number of tournaments participated per year, number of practice sessions, competitive experience, years on a team, and self-evaluation of skills). Activity purpose were classified into four intentional groups (１. enjoyment, 2. winning, 3. health promotion, 4. purpose of life). The χ2 test and one-way ANOVA were conducted with these as dependent variables and personal attributes and sports behavior as independent variables.
RESULTS: Overall attributes, 47.5% were male and 52.5% were female. The average age was 48.69 years old. The most common activity purpose was for enjoyment group, accounting for 41.4% of the total, followed by the winning group (28.3%), the health promotion group (20.2%), and the purpose of life group (10.1%). In the analysis of activity purpose, attributes, and sports behavior, the first significant difference in attributes was age (p<.001), with the winning group being the youngest at 45.15 years old on average compared to the health promotion and purpose in life groups. In terms of sports behavior, there was a significant difference (p<.001) in the number of tournaments participated per year, with the winning group participating 7.80 times, which was more than the health promotion group (4.85 times). There was also a significant difference (p<.05) in self-evaluation of skills (5-point scale), with the winning group perceiving themselves as having a higher skill level than the health promotion group. There were no significant differences in other sports behavior factors.
CONCLUSION: The relationship between the activity purpose and sports behavior of participants in Beachball, the inclination toward winning was reflected in their sports behavior in the same way as in major sports.
REFERENCE: Ingledew, D.K. & Markland, D., The role of motives in exercise participation, Psychology and Health, 23(7): 807-828.