Maximizing Youth Experiences in Community Sport Settings: The Design and Impact of the LiFE Sports Camp

Abstract

Maximizing youth experiences in community sport programs is critical, particularly for vulnerable and/or marginalized youth who may have limited access and opportunity to these experiences. Using second-order latent growth modeling, this study explores the impact of a community sport program, the LiFE Sports Camp, on the development of social and sport skills among vulnerable youth. The importance of a sense of belonging as a key mechanism that contributes to youth outcomes also is examined. The findings of this research point to the value of community sport that is strategically designed to promote both sport and social outcomes in youth, as well as highlights the role of belonging in these contexts. Implications for sports management leaders and practitioners are discussed.

Evaluation ofThe First Teein Promoting Positive Youth Development: Group Comparisons and Longitudinal Trends

“…This finding indicates that youth who had the most to gain from a PA-PYD program benefitted accordingly from participation. Anderson-Butcher et al (2014) similarly found that youth who began their PYD sports camp with lower perceived social competence scores showed the greatest gains during the course of the program. These findings are also reminiscent of those found by Smoll, Smith, Barnett, and Everett (1993), in that youth baseball players who were lower in self-esteem in the preseason made the greatest gains from preseason to postseason when playing for coaches who were trained to use effective feedback and instructional strategies.…”

“…Some studies have used qualitative or pretest -posttest designs without a control or comparison group to evaluate the effectiveness of PA-PYD programs in improving self-perceptions, social skills, and respect toward others (Anderson-Butcher, Riley, Amorose, Iachini, & Wade-Mdivanian, 2014;Fuller, Percy, Bruening, & Cotrufo, 2013;Ullrich-French, McDonough, & Smith, 2012). These studies go beyond correlational designs, but without a comparison group, it is possible that positive changes observed from pretest to posttest are attributable to developmental (e.g., cognitive or physical maturity) or environmental factors (e.g., skills learned in family or school contexts).…”

Staff Practices and Social Skill Outcomes in a Sport-Based Youth Program

“…Inoue et al (2015) found associations among need satisfaction, self-efficacy, and healthy lifestyle attitudes and behaviors among youth participating in running-based youth program. Further, Anderson-Butcher, Riley, Amorose, Iachini, and Wade-Mdivanian (2014) found that youths' sense of belonging to a sport-based youth program was a significant predictor of changes in perceived social responsibility among youth over the course of their involvement.…”

A Systematic Review of Life Skill Development Through Sports Programs Serving Socially Vulnerable Youth

“…First, on the basis of a quasiexperimental quantitative study, Bonnette et al (2001) reported that critical-thinking skills increased more for youth participating in a sports program in which the youth themselves had to find solutions for challenges in the sports activities compared with youth participating in a sports program where the coaches prompted these solutions. Second, Anderson-Butcher et al (2014) found that increased sense of belonging (i.e., feeling comfortable and feeling part of the program) increased the chance for youth developing positive attitudes toward helping other people. Third, according to the parents interviewed by Riley and Anderson-Butcher (2012), the inclusion of a life skill education element, the opportunities for peer interactions, the active and diverse nature of the program, and sports instructors who were caring, personable, and outgoing caused or strengthened life skill development.…”

“…The authors suggested several possible explanations for why Conflict resolution skills + participation in the sports program could have led to improvements in social responsibility, and many of these explanations refer to elements of the TPSR model. One example of such an explanation was that the sports coaches continuously discussed the transference of self-direction and goal setting from the sports setting to other settings (Anderson-Butcher, Riley, Amorose, Iachini, & Wade-Mdivanian, 2014;Walsh et al, 2010). Other authors suggested that improvements in social responsibility may be explained by the involvement of caring sports coaches (Hellison & Wright, 2003), the inclusion of a life skill education part (Riley & Anderson-Butcher, 2012), and the presence of negative events, like injuries, that provide opportunities to develop empathy (Holt et al, 2012).…”