Staying or Leaving?

Previous studies have demonstrated the impacts of artistic sports on the mental health and academic performance of children. Our project focuses on mentor experiences with artistic sports with Left-Behind Children (LBC) in rural China. Data were collected through interviews with 32 volunteer mentors, exploring three key areas: reasons for participation, factors influencing continued involvement or discontinuation, and challenges encountered by mentors. The findings revealed that mentors were primarily driven by their passion for dance and their desire to positively impact the lives of LBC. However, they faced numerous challenges, including difficulties arising from the LBC, resistance from teachers and parents, financial constraints, as well as personal struggles in adapting to the local environment. The insights gathered from this study provide a valuable basis for guiding future initiatives aimed at improving the lives of LBC in rural areas of China through the medium of artistic sports activities.