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This critical reflection discusses some potential positive and negative implications, with particular focus on the latter, of the promotion and participation of sport and physical activity to older people. Reflecting upon my 15 years of research on older Masters athletes (and active older people in general), I argue that the field of sports/exercise sciences needs to change its framework for leisure engagement (or physical activity) for current and future cohorts of older adults from one of blaming inactivity for disease, to a framework that values all forms of leisure, from passive to active, mental to social, etc, and one that accepts difference and diversity in aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review focuses on works that examine the participation of older people in sport from a critical social science perspective. It reveals how, on the one hand, sport can provide many benefits for participants, but on the other hand it also creates psychosocial and sociocultural issues for older participants that need to be managed by society, individuals working with older people and older people themselves. The author argues that while sport should be made available to older people, participation in sport should not be an expectation for all as we age because of access, equity and personal issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]