Research of recreational sport habits at the University of Debrecen

Recreational sports have rising importance in university life. In 2007, a new sport strategy was implemented, (XXI National Sport Strategy), which analyses the current conditions in recreational sports in Hungary and describes its developmental potentials. Additionally, last year a new concept for university sport was introduced (Hajos Alfred Program), having as its most important goal, to develop the recreational sporting activities within the universities’ environment. The latter is of high importance, as this is the last period, when, on an institutional level, we can establish and enhance the need for physical activity among young generations. My study focuses on recreational sport activities among university students at several faculties of the University of Derbecen. Data collection was completed on a paper based questionnaire, 42 closed-type questions were included and a total of 213 students completed it. 112 men and 101 women answered the questions. It consisted of 3 main groups of questions. The first group of questions included sporting activities of students and questions about sports preferences. In the second group of questions academic recreational sport services while in the third group demographic data was concerned. The results were analyzed by gender and categories of athletes inside and outside the campus. 1. Several of the respondents do sports inside the campus than outside. At the same time, athletes outside the campus are less familiar with the recreational sport facilities offered by university. By gender, a higher proportion of men are informed about events, sport chalices and occupations than women. 2. Basically, there were differences neither by gender nor athletes inside and outside the campus in terms of their activity of sports. Consistently, the lack of time was identified as the most significant difficulty of regular exercise opportunity, however, reconciling the obligations timetable sporting activities also caused difficulties, the latter was more pronounced among women. 3. There were no differences in the motivational factors among the sub-groups, reinforcing the healthy lifestyle was the most decisive motivational reason. Apparently, both inside and outside the campus academic athletes have the same motivational factors in the terms of their sporting activities. Any differences between site preference of motivational factors neither their relations to sport nor sporting values of the formed opinion can give adequate answers, to the development of these differences all other factors are decisive.