Understanding Sport Participation and Athlete Development: The Exposure to Sport Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this two-part paper was to conceptualize and validate a new method for measuring youth sport exposure. In part one, different disciplines were used to guide the creation of the Exposure to Sport Scale. Using references from epidemiology and the previously validated Developmental History of Athletes Questionnaire, an original version of the scale was proposed.
Sections include measures of practice, play and competition throughout an athlete’s sport development journey. In part two the content and face validity of the Exposure to Sport Scale was investigated. Using a modified Delphi approach, 16 experts in the field completed three rounds of feedback. By the final round all items had achieved consensus for clarity and relevance. The proposed Exposure to Sport Scale has significant implications for those working in early athlete settings.