Background Enjoyment of physical activity is a central determinant of lifelong engagement in exercise and health-oriented behavior. Objective The present study examined associations between enjoyment of physical education (PE), general exercise enjoyment, and sports club participation among secondary school students. Methods Sixty-two students (18 ♀, 44 ♂; grades 5–10) completed an anonymous survey including the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale—short version (PACES-S), self-reported PE grades, and current and previous sports club/fitness memberships. Responses on PE enjoyment and perceived performance relative to classmates were collected using four-point scales. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using Jamovi 2.6.26 ( α = 0.05). Results Three-quarters of students reported frequent or consistent enjoyment of PE. This group achieved significantly higher PE grades (1.98 ± 0.89 vs. 2.57 ± 1.16; p = 0.045) and higher PACES-S scores (15.5 ± 3.2). Active sports club members reported significantly greater movement enjoyment than non-members ( p 0.05). Students who consistently enjoyed PE were five times more likely to report above-average enjoyment of general movement (RR = 5.0; 95% CI: 1.97–12.69) and four times more likely to be active sports club members (RR = 4.36; 95% CI: 1.41–13.42). Conclusions Enjoyment of PE is strongly associated with general movement enjoyment and sports club participation. These results underscore the importance of competence-oriented, diverse, and enjoyable PE curricula and suggest that school-sports club collaborations can enhance intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and social engagement, promoting sustained physical activity in youth.
Vogt et al. (Fri,) studied this question.