IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Introduction. Socialisation, including primary socialisation, is a focus of interest for social scientists, sociologists in particular. Empirical findings indicate that primary socialisation which people go through in the early years of their lives plays a fundamental role in preparing them for living within a society. The reason is that primary socialisation takes place in the emotional environment of a family and children live in microcosms defined by their parents, microcosms to which there is no alternative. It is interesting to find out whether this process also affects the area of sport. The aim of this study is to examine the influence of primary socialisation on the choice of football as the ultimate sport of choice by players of Poland’s best first-league football team in the 2012/13 season.
Material and methods. The study involved a survey conducted between April 1st and 30th, 2013, on a purposive sample of N = 25 football players of the first-league Legia Warsaw football club. The diagnostic poll method was used in the study and an original, categorised poll was the research tool. The surveying technique was an auditorium questionnaire.
Results. After analysis, empirical data obtained from the survey shows that a person’s involvement in sport is affected by primary socialisation. Family members of most of the surveyed players have a certain degree of experience with practicing a sport. The players’ fathers were usually the ones who provided practical and financial support to facilitate their sons’ sports participation. The study has also found that the players’ families did not devote very much time to organising sport activities and the parents did not spend excessive funds on such activities. A valid conclusion, then, is that primary socialisation had a significant impact on the career choices made by the surveyed football players. This confirms the important role of primary socialisation into sport and conforms with social science theories and paradigms in a broader sense that applies to primary socialisation into society and culture.