Reasons for Choosing Recreational Swimming: Qualitative Analysis of Parents Preference Factors

This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of why swimming is a preferred sport for children, based on parental perspectives, by examining the reasons behind these preferences using qualitative methods. The study utilized a phenomenological design, a qualitative research approach. The phenomenological design focuses on phenomena we are aware of but lack a deep and detailed understanding of. This design, used in qualitative research, guides the researcher in developing activities in a consistent and purposeful manner. A total of 20 parents, 12 mothers and 8 fathers, participated in the study. Content analysis was used in the data analysis to clearly analyze the data, draw conclusions from cause-and-effect relationships, and interpret the findings. Inter-coder validity and reliability were calculated as .87. Analysis revealed that parents' reasons for choosing swimming fall into nine themes: Health and Physical Development, Coach, School, and Environment, Child's Interest and Desire, Parent's Sports History, Hygiene and Facility Conditions, Social and Psychosocial Development, Continuity and Lifetime, Safety and Reduced Risk, and Cost and Accessibility. The most frequently cited reason for choosing swimming is for children's physical development and a healthy body. Findings indicate that parents generally express their preference for their children based on their belief in good physical development, their confidence in the coach's knowledge and career, and their child's desire. In conclusion the study reveals that parents' decisions to encourage their children to swim are shaped in a multidimensional way, centering around health and physical development, psychosocial benefits, and the relatively safe profile of the sport; that qualified coaching, hygiene, and institutional reliability are decisive factors at the decision-making stage; and that continuity is significantly influenced by the child's interest and motivation, as well as cost and accessibility constraints.