A grounded theory of positive youth development through sport based on results from a qualitative meta-study

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study was to create a model of positive youth development (PYD) through sport grounded in the extant qualitative literature. More specifically, the first objective was to review and evaluate qualitative studies of PYD in sport. The second objective was to analyze and synthesize findings from these studies. Following record identification and screening, 63 articles were retained for analysis. Meta-method analysis revealed strengths of studies were the use of multiple data collection and validity techniques, which produced high-quality data. Weaknesses were limited use of ‘named’ methodologies and inadequate reporting of sampling procedures. Philosophical perspectives were rarely reported, and theory was used sparingly. Results of an inductive meta-data analysis produced three categories: PYD climate (adult relationships, peer relationships, and parental involvement), life skills program focus (life skill building activities and transfer activities), and PYD outcomes (in personal, social, and physical domains). A model that distinguishes between implicit and explicit processes to PYD is presented.

Enhancing the Transfer of Life Skills from Sport-based Youth Development Programs to School, Family, and Community Settings

“…Because incongruences are context and site specific, program leaders need to develop relationships and get to know youth participants, their schools, and their community/family situations. This aligns with the SBYD best practice of relationship building (Holt et al, 2017), and positions program leaders to think about students' lives in a holistic way so they can be better equipped to teach youth the skills they need to navigate across contexts.…”

“…These networks have critical implications for life skills transfer because family members are the primary socializing agents for their children (Clausen, 1966). For this reason, parents' involvement in SBYD programs often represents a determining factor in program success (Holt et al, 2017). Meléndez and Martinek (2015) witnessed a lack of congruence between family and program norms and orientations toward the notion of respect.…”

“…Among these SBYD approaches, the TPSR model has emerged as a special exemplar and leading best practice model (Holt et al, 2017). The TPSR model has earned this "best practice" status not only because of its multi-pronged focus on youth empowerment, relationship building, and life skills development, but also because of its unique and explicit strategy of helping children and youth learn to transfer competencies to other school, family, and community contexts.…”

“The individual at the centre” – a grounded theory explaining how sport clubs retain young adults

“…Social connectedness is understood to play a crucial role in identity development, mental health, and well-being (Townsend & McWhirter, 2005), in addition to feelings of meaningfulness (Thedin Jakobsson, 2014; Thedin Jacobsson et al, 2014). Recent findings also show that the social environment in and through sports enables youth to gain experiences that will contribute to positive youth development (PYD) outcomes (i.e., Côté, Turnidge, & Evans, 2014; Flett, Gould, Griffes, & Lauer, 2013; Holt et al, 2017). Therefore, it might be reasonable to consider that the young adults in this study might have had a PYD climate (with coaches, peers, families, and other members) that contributed to the fact that they have continued to participate in their sport clubs.…”

PYDSportNET: A knowledge translation project bridging gaps between research and practice in youth sport

“…Accordingly, the first step in our larger project was to conduct a meta-study of the qualitative PYD research. Through synthesis of the results of primary studies we created a model of PYD through sport in order to guide future research and practical initiatives (Holt, Neely et al, 2017). Other systematic reviews of the PYD literature-including quantitative studieshave also been published (e.g., Bruner et al, 2016;Jones, Edwards, Bocarro, Bunds, & Smith, 2016), and thus it is fair to suggest that recent knowledge in this area has been identified and synthesized.…”