Learning from the Experiences of Older Adult Volunteers in Sport: A Serious Leisure Perspective (Report‪)‬

Introduction Trends such as early retirement and increased longevity are expanding the number of years and the proportion of people's lives spent in retirement, and thus increasing the amount of available leisure time for older adults (Chambre, 1987; Stebbins, 2000; Warbuton, Terry, Rosenman, & Shapiro, 2001). Recent research has focused on post-retirement and the leisure habits and preferences of this demographic (e.g., Gibson, Ashton-Shaeffer, Green, & Autry, 2003/2004; Guinn, 1999; Nimrod, 2007a,b). This research indicates that older adults desire meaningful leisure experiences in order to improve their overall life satisfaction during retirement (Gibson et al., 2003/2004; Nimrod, 2007a). Specifically, older adults find leisure opportunities that give them choice in what they do (Craike & Coleman, 2005; Robertson, 2005), provide them with a challenge (Guinn, 1999; Nimrod, 2007a), and facilitate social interaction (Gibson et al., 2003/2004; Iwasaki & Smale, 1998) to be most meaningful and satisfying.