Research - Interviews

[tantsandras]

(Male, 40 years old, lives in London)

Team Sport Background (service or information/help to organise)

• How active are you? Would you like to be more active? (yes)

Fairly active, between team sports and working on my own I work more by myself.

• If so, what's preventing you from being as active as you'd like?

Apart from being lazy? Haha. My go to thing is running but I have a problem with my foot right now, so I’m looking to do something else.

• Do you think playing sports with others would help you to be more active?

It might, but sometimes I prefer to do stuff on my own.

• If so, how/why?

I went to meet up and found a basketball group in Camden but they required commitment and it costs money so I never joined. I don’t know too many people in London. My office wants to organise to play sports but it never happens. There’s no follow up.

• Tell me about the last time you played sports with other people.

Outside from the person I live with I played basketball outside my office where’s there’s a court. It was not organised in advance. With someone I see every day.

• How was it organised?

The capoeira was organised through facebook.

• Were there any obstacles or difficulties organising that?

Not really.

• did everyone who said that they were going to show up, show up?

I wasn’t the one who organised it. It didn’t matter how many showed up. You can do capoeira just two people.

• Did you pay for the field/court and how much did that cost approximately? Were you comfortable with the price?

Ten or twenty pounds. It was ok (about the capoiera).

• Did you know the people that you were playing with?

No (about the capoeira).

• Have you ever played sports with people you don't know?

Yeah, it’s been a while but I played with someone my partner introduced me to. It was tennis.

I also did capoeira, for a few months.

I would be more interested if it was in my local area or in the area where I work.

Network/Social/Tools

• How interested are you in meeting up with people to play sports?

Ambivilant about it, maybe. Sometimes I prefer to do things alone.

• Would you join an online community for meeting up and playing sports?

Yeah, I might consider it. It might not be my highest priority.

• Would you be comfortable meeting up with an individual, or a group, that you don't know from that community, or would you like to get help with organising to play sports with friends?

Yes. We don’t need help organising to play sports in the office, an app can’t do anything that a slack channel can’t do.

• Would you need to get to know people before meeting up?

Not in particular.

• Which gender do you identify as, and is it important that you meet with a group of just that gender?

• Would money be a factor for if you'd like to meet up or not?

I’m fine with paying. Everything that is in good quality costs money this days.

• Have you used any tools to organise meeting up to do sports before?

• If yes, what kind of tools were they (apps, meetup.com, facebook groups, whatsapp etc)?

Group channels. Nothing sofisticated.

Tell me about that experience (was there something missing or were there any problems with that tool? What worked well?).

With capoeira, it was word to mouth. Facebook page that’s not well maintained, but had the basic information. About what level and at what time.

Easy going. Pretty laid back.

• If no, do you know of any tools that are meant for organising meet ups for doing sports? What's stopping you from trying to meet up to do sports?

I didn’t know that there was meet ups etc for those kinds of stuff. I’m not surprised that there are. But I have never thought about it.

• What kind of sport/sports would you be interested in meeting up for, if any?

Good question. Maybe ping pong or tennis. Basketball. Indoors requires hiring a place but outdoors it could be free. But then you have to consider the rain.

• Would you like information about how much it would cost, or if it was free?

Yes, it would be useful to know.

• How would you prefer a meet up for sports to be organised?

Useful to know about past meetings, how many people who previously showed up. If I should bring my own equipment. A set time would be good.

[zurda]

Interview

Female, 23, She/her

Team Sport Background (service or information/help to organise)

• How active are you? Would you like to be more active?

Semi-active right now. Go for the occasional jog. Would like to be more active. Come from a sporty background.

• If so, what's preventing you from being as active as you'd like?

Partly intimidation. I'd have to go and join a team or a group, they might already know each other, and they might expect a regular commitment that I can't guarantee. It's a hard first step to take.

• Do you think playing sports with others would help you to be more active?

yes

• Why?

I like the idea you don't do it just for exercise. I like the idea of learning a skill which is something you get from a team sport. Because I want it to be an opportunity to socialise.

• From what I understand you like exercise to be a group thing and a thing that you do that's not only going to the gym. More like an activity?

Yes

Network/Social/Tools

• How interested are you in meeting up with people to play sports?

I would be super interested in doing that.

• Would you be more interested if it was casual?

yes for sure.

• Would you join an online community for meeting up and playing sports?

probably . The only thing is I sign up for everything and then don't go. It's cause I completely forgot that I signed up. I often end up not using it.

• Would you be comfortable meeting up with an individual, or a group, that you don't know from that community, or would you like to get help with organising to play sports with friends?

It depends on the setting. As long as it was a public setting. Joke about meeting in her kitchen, haha.

• Would you need to get to know people before meeting up?

To be honest strangers are safer than acquaintances. If I could look at the chatroom and see the community, if they are competitive, if they like having a laugh, if it was casual - that would make me also more comfortable.

• Which gender do you identify as, and is it important that you meet with a group of just that gender?

Yes, I think so because I get worried that I'm not very good on a team. I'm quite a sporty person, but I've played with guys who were very judgemental about my level of skills, or competitive.

• more judgemental?

yes. So a more female, or a predominantly or exclusively female group would be more appealing

• Would money be a factor for if you'd like to meet up or not?

Depends on the sports. Some sports you can't go to the park for, for example football, for others - you need a court. so I would assume you'd need to pay for that. But football - should be free. To a certain degree I would assume it involves some money but there is a cap for how much I would be willing to pay.

• Have you used any tools to organise meeting up to do sports before?

I have used meetup but not for sports. For sports I used facebook. It was good for attendance. The other thing it was hard to know if people were committing for it. You could see people were interested but not everyone showed up, and that was a problem because we'd plan for a lot (200) of people and 50 people showed up.

• Is there anything else you could remember that was good or bad about that experience?

One thing is that it was quite hard to tell people in the moment where they should be. It was difficult to tell this group of people should be here now, etc. We couldn't make sure that everyone had seen the message. I don't think we had any major problems. We found the live stream feature on facebook really useful. People would see the live feed and show up.

• What kind of sport/sports would you be interested in meeting up for, if any?

I would be fairly game for most sports. I like things like rugby, football, racket sports but I don't have rackets. I also enjoyed things like wide game. These are really fun and you need a lot of people to do it with. A wide game is a game that usually takes up a full field.

• Would you need a community to find people for wide games?

yes.

• Would you like information about how much it would cost, or if it was free?

yes. Even though I don't mind paying it's useful to know how much it is beforehand. It's stressful to turn out and only then find out how costly it is.

• How would you prefer a meet up for sports to be organised? Would you like a set time?

Potentially. I guess going online and seeing that these many people of this demographic are meeting at this place at this time. And I can check if that fits my schedule.

I think self organising could be difficult. I personally find it much easier to have a set time. But if you're doing it with small groups it's fine. If it's a larger group it could be difficult.

• Is there anything else you'd like to get information that might be useful? Do you have preferences about how it would work?

1. what you should be expected to wear (maybe using icons? loose clothes, tight clothes)
2. If there's an option to rent equipment or if I should bring my own
3. Is warming up and stretching planned or should I do it beforehand

• What about facilities?

Depends on location. If it's close to me, I don't mind not knowing. If it's in a leisure centre I would like to know wether or not I could shower there.

• Do you think that you would be more inclined to join a meetup in sports in your area?

Depends on the sport. If it was niche, like lacrosse, or something I was really interested in doing - I would be super into travelling for it.

• so if it's more like a special event ,or niche you would be willing to travel?

yes.

Additional suggestions:

• If there was an option to see "within 10 miles"
• Proportion of women vs men
• Demographic

[zurda]

Bebe interview

I wish i was more active, cycle to work takes 45 min, what to find more time, cost. Exercise can cost too much, and gym cost can add up. And you have to go too often to get good value.

Never been part of a team, but wants something active that , less about team but more active

Last activity was dodgeball, and was organised by a work colleague. It was paid for by company, was allowed to bring food and drinks. Was played in a local school. willing to pay for a $5, played with work people, probably not play with strangers. Joining a new sport, join a club and practice with better ppl, will join a club and do weekly. Happy join just to do the sport. No tool have been used.

New sport, gender is not a problem,

Not commiting every week, not expensive, range of abilities,

Cycle is good because i had to do it, find rounders fun, looking for fun sport.

I rather do then search for it myself unless it's easy, good location.

Does yoga in a class.

Organized in a league in uni and can not be asked, had to find ppl was stressful,

Mix friend and stranger, meet up is flexible, dark is another problem,

[zurda]

(Male, 22, London)

• How active are you? Would you like to be more active?

Fairly active, at least twice, maybe three times a week. Would like to be more active.

    ◦ If so, what’s preventing you from being as active as you’d like?

Laziness is no.1 Recently shin splints, was running every day, now needs treadmill, hard access to a gym. Normally wouldnt need gym but now does. Cost and convenience are problems of access to gym. Looking into recently starting 5-a-side team. Mixed gender hard to find! Not many options, too far away, in Angel. IF there was an easy option would be doing 5 a side football.

When was last time you played? Last time football, a year ago at uni, 5 a side.

who’s doing organising? One friend for all.

For organising: show availability, input from each person. DIFFERENT to normal fb messenger or whatsapp, maybe one organiser.

How much to rent? £3/3.50 per person in Leeds (cheap)

    ◦ Do you think playing sports with others would help you to be more active?

Wants to do more sport for the social aspect. People up for football in company not so much for sport, more for social, hanging out outside of work context

    ◦ If so, how/why?

• Tell me about the last time you played sports with other people.
    ◦ How was it organised?
    ◦ Were there any obstacles or difficulties organising that?

Difficult organising friends, getting commitment ◦ Did you pay for the field/court and how much did that cost approximately? Were you comfortable with the price? ◦ Did you know the people that you were playing with? Always with friends, sometimes friend of friends

    ◦ Have you ever played sports with people you don’t know?

Network/Social/Tools • How interested are you in meeting up with people to play sports? Interested in meeting up with people, Would want photo and a profile for verification, Deposit/similar to make sure they turn up especially if you’re travelling somewhere far

    ◦ Would you join an online community for meeting up and playing sports?

Would be fine joining strangers. Would consider joining an online community. Considered terrible football on meetup through researching stuff for company. Would be hesitant as strangers, have to make friends, ideally would turn up with friends to make easier. But would still turn on their own in order to just get a runabout.

Issues in company 5-aside: £7 a week too expensive, location (Angel) too far.

Needed to be near/ in between soho and london bridge.

Increasingly more demand for sport through work. Everyone very keen here when mentioned.

    ◦ Would you be comfortable meeting up with an individual, or a group, that you don’t know from that community, or would you like to get help with organising to play sports with friends?
    ◦ Would you need to get to know people before meeting up?
    ◦ Which gender do you identify as, and is it important that you meet with a group of just that gender?
    ◦ Would money be a factor for if you’d like to meet up or not?
    ◦ 

Importance of money? Very important, travel is expensive, puts people off. Probably the main barrier. Same for joining gym, that’s what puts most people off. Puregym from £25 . Towels important as part of paying for gym . Convenience

• Have you used any tools to organise meeeting up to do sports before?
    ◦ If yes, what kind of tools were they (apps, meetup.com, facebook groups, whatsapp etc)? Tell me about that experience (was there something missing or were there any problems with that tool? What worked well?).

App/website for lining up people’s availabilities (people who know each other) - DOODLE, so maybe info about ◦ If no, do you know of any tools that are meant for organising meet ups for doing sports? What’s stopping you from trying to meet up to do sports? Only came to know of sports meetups on meetup.com after having to organise through work .

• What kind of sport/sports would you be interested in meeting up for, if any?
  Interested in rugby, not as a weekly thing though. Casual one off thing. 

    ◦ Would you like information about how much it would cost, or if it was free?
    ◦ How would you prefer a meet up for sports to be organised?

Would want to be serious in terms of organisation in order to know that people would turn up and not flake. Would want to be casual, not a serious level of sport, about having fun, not competitive, . Has to be more organised than ‘hey turn up and kick a football out’ as no one has a responsibility to actually turn up , especially as haven’t paid, may be hungover etc.

Would want company football to be semi-regular, commitments change Maybe people could commit to weekly but for a short time period. I.e one day a week for 6-8 weeks.

End: would like geolocation thing, ‘im a football player, im in this location, I want to play at this time’, plus verification

linked with facebook, show friends or non-friends in the area.

[zurda]

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