ôYoung children naturally want to moveö according to Physical Education for Lifelong Fitness (Physical 24). However, quite often as young children move into adolescence, approximately around age 10, they begin to lose interest in physical activity. There are a variety of reasons for this decreased interest in physical activity for adolescents. One of the biggest reasons is that adolescents often begin to develop other interests and hobbies that make them say, much as older adults do, they ôlack the timeö to engage in physical activity. Another reason is that children have often experienced physical education programs that were not fun because of their structure or inappropriate application, ôTeens may also have suffered through years of boring or developmentally inappropriate physical education programs, and once given the choice, avoid physical activity as much as possibleö (Physical 28).
Adolescents also want to avoid being associated with games that ôchildrenö play as they want to appear more mature. Further, many adolescents have experienced the embarrassment and feelings of low self-worth that come from having participated in physical fitness programs as a child that focused more on rewarding ability than participation in physical activity. As noted in Physical Education, ôChildren who are not very athletic may become inactive if they feel incompetent and unsupportedö (Physical 28). Adolescents may also lack the basic skills needed to participate in physical activity and therefore avoid it. So too, many adolescents lack the knowledge to make physical activity engaging and safe in an interesting manner. They lack the knowledge of how to participate in an activity that helps meet needs, creates goals, and monitors progress. Further, many adolescents decline to participate in physical activity because they only like to do so when they can participate with members of the same gender or those of a
...