Understanding Parents' Perspectives of Youth Summer Hockey Camps using Importance-Performance Analysis: A Consideration of Value Equity Drivers

Abstract

Given the move towards sport specialization, hockey has become subject to year-round participation. Summer hockey camps provide an outlet for children to continue to work on their skills and stay on the ice during the off-season. As there are numerous hockey camps operating during the summer months, camps compete against each other for consumers. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was twofold. First, the aim was to understand what value equity factors are most important to parents when deciding to register their child for a summer hockey camp; second, the researcher hoped to ascertain if summer hockey camp operators are performing to the deemed level of importance of those factors as determined by the parents, and assist the camps in identifying and closing any perception gaps in their offering. Surveys were used in order to complete an importance-performance analysis; 148 parents who registered their child in a summer hockey camp in the Niagara Region in 2019 completed the survey. Through the findings it is clear that factors of quality were of utmost importance to parents; all but one factor of convenience and price were over-delivered. Overall, parents are generally satisfied with the performance of summer hockey camps in the Niagara Region.