Justine Cotnoir, Bradley W. Young, M. Blair Evans, Bettina Callary, Liza Stathokostas, Scott Rathwell

Despite the well-established lifelong benefits of physical activity, organized sport for middle-aged and older adults remains underrepresented in research, policy, and programming. Program leaders face challenges when designing and evaluating sport opportunities for Masters athletes, because no evidence-based conceptual framework exists that defines a quality adult/Masters sport experience or how it emerges. The purpose of this two-phase study is to identify the principles and conditions necessary for a quality adult/Masters sport experience. In Phase 1, the research team will develop preliminary principles and definitions informed by the eight proposed Hallmarks of a Quality Masters Sport Experience (QMSE). In Phase 2, we will recruit and survey 70 agents, including members of the Older Adult Advisory Group for Active Aging Canada, Masters athletes, coaches, sport programmers, and administrators, representing a range of roles and experiences in adult sport. Athlete participants will be asked open-ended questions about their most positive and negative sport experiences, while non-athlete participants will describe what they consider to be positive and negative experiences for adult athletes. Using Likert-type rating scales with open-ended prompts, respondents will evaluate the eight QMSE hallmarks, indicating relevance and providing examples. Descriptive statistics, Friedman tests with follow-up Wilcoxon signed-rank comparisons, and Kendall’s W will be used to refine principles and definitions. Open-ended responses will be analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. This research will produce a stakeholder-informed set of principles and definitions to support a conceptual framework for quality Masters sport participation, guiding future theory, measurement, and intervention.