Since being adopted by The English Football Association as the preferred format of football to be played by children aged 10 and under, mini soccer has evolved and expanded into a popular activity for children. Yet little is known about the experiences of those participating in the game. In addition, adult-organized activities such as mini soccer are increasingly seen by parents and adults as suitable pursuits for their children to participate in. Yet the perspective of the child participating in mini soccer, as with many other activities, is largely ignored in academic literature. This is especially true in the social sciences, where research has historically been done ‘on’ children, rather than ‘with’ children. In this study, we seek to address this imbalance by including children as active participants in the research process. In doing so, we devised a methodology based on audiovisual methods to create participatory conditions between children and researchers interested in investigating their experiences of mini soccer in England. Children were asked to identify aspects of their experience which they felt were noteworthy to create video recordings of critical incidents that directly involved them participating in mini soccer. These were used as a discussion tool in focus groups to explore how and why children felt the incidents were critical, and how their experience of them shaped their participation. The methodology employed helped capture children’s differentiated views of the same incidents, and highlighted the diversity of their experiences. It is recommended that similar audiovisual methodologies are employed to inform future policy and strategy development in grassroots football that includes children as participants.
Tangu kuanzishwa kwa soka la Uingereza kama mchezo unaopendwa na watoto wa umri wa miaka 10 na chini, soka ndogo imebadilika na kupanuka kuwa shughuli maarufu kwa watoto. Hata hivyo, mambo machache yanajulikana kuhusu mambo yaliyowapata wale walioshiriki katika mchezo huo. Kwa kuongezea, shughuli zilizopangwa na watu wazima kama vile mpira mdogo wa miguu zinaonekana zaidi na zaidi na wazazi na watu wazima kama shughuli zinazofaa kwa watoto wao kushiriki. Hata hivyo, mtazamo wa mtoto kushiriki katika mpira wa miguu mdogo, kama na shughuli nyingine nyingi, ni kwa kiasi kikubwa kupuuzwa katika fasihi ya kitaaluma. Hii ni kweli hasa katika sayansi ya kijamii, ambapo utafiti imekuwa kihistoria kufanyika "juu" watoto, badala ya "na" watoto. Katika utafiti huu, tunatafuta kushughulikia ukosefu huu wa usawa kwa kujumuisha watoto kama washiriki hai katika mchakato wa utafiti. Kwa kufanya hivyo, tulibuni mbinu inayotegemea mbinu za sauti na kuona ili kuunda hali za ushirikiano kati ya watoto na watafiti wanaopendezwa na kuchunguza uzoefu wao wa mpira mdogo nchini Uingereza. Watoto waliulizwa kutambua mambo ya uzoefu wao ambayo walihisi yalikuwa ya kuvutia kuunda rekodi za video za matukio muhimu ambayo yaliwahusisha moja kwa moja kushiriki katika mpira wa miguu mdogo. Majaribio hayo yalitumiwa kama chombo cha majadiliano katika vikundi vya kuzingatia kugundua jinsi na kwa nini watoto waliona matukio hayo kuwa muhimu, na jinsi uzoefu wao wa matukio hayo ulivyounda ushiriki wao. Mbinu iliyotumiwa ilisaidia kukamata maoni tofauti ya watoto juu ya matukio yaleyale, na ikasisitiza utofauti wa uzoefu wao. Inashauriwa kwamba mbinu sawa za sauti na picha zinatumiwa kuelimisha sera ya baadaye na maendeleo ya mkakati katika mpira wa miguu wa msingi ambao unajumuisha watoto kama washiriki.