What motivates adults to participate in Australian Masters sport: looking back to ‘move’ towards a prosperous future

Recent evidence illustrates a pattern of consistent decline in adult sport participation in Australia across the adult lifespan. This study examined the motivations of 248 adults who took part in the 16th Australian Masters Games (AMG). The Physical Activity Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS) was used to collect data on motives to participate in sport and to identify how motivations were shaped by age. PALMS results showed that the highest ranked motives for participation were enjoyment and physical condition subscales, with affiliation and mastery subscales also prominent motives amongst the cohort. Age-related differences in motives were reported for the PALMS subscale affiliation and mastery, identifying that specific differences in motivation across young adulthood, middle adulthood, and old adulthood do exist. The findings highlight opportunities for government, policymakers, and sporting organizations to more effectively target specific adult populations and encourage participation in sport across the lifespan.