Promoting ball-based play and sports participation for preschool children

Introduction This study investigates the effects of a preschool intervention, Ball-based Play in Preschool , on two primary outcomes: children's participation in ball-based leisure sports and a composite index of enjoyment, skill level, and frequency of ball-based play. Secondary descriptive analyses examine the distribution of these outcomes and their associations with background characteristics. Methods The intervention was developed to integrate ball-based play into daily preschool routines and contained collaboration between preschools and local sports clubs to foster ball-based sports participation. The non-randomized wait-list control design included children from eight preschools whose parents completed a questionnaire assessing child-level outcomes and background factors. Results One of the assessed outcomes was the newly developed Ball Play Index capturing three key elements of ball play: frequency, enjoyment and skill level. Baseline data revealed substantial variation across the eight participating preschool settings. For instance, participation in ball-based sports ranged from 14% to 30%, while participation in any sport varied from 31% to 80%. Cross-sectional analyses of 429 responses identified associations between sports participation, the Ball Play Index, and factors such as gender, disability status, and parental background. Impact analyses ( n = 108) showed no significant effects of the intervention on either Ball Play Index ( β = −0.07, 95% CI −0.29 to 0.14; p = 0.508) or participation in ball-based leisure sports (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 0.22–6.97; p = 0.810). Conclusion Future initiatives should account for both the readiness of sports clubs and the existing activity levels within the target group. A broader approach that includes diverse sports may help overcome capacity challenges, and ensuring equitable access remains essential. Finally, future efforts may benefit from involving parents more actively in the process.