The Reality of Implementing Community-Based Sport and Physical Activity Programs to Enhance the Development of Underserved Youth: Challenges and Potential Strategies

Lessons Learned from an After-School Program: Building Personal and Social Responsibility

“…musical chairs), and rarely promote physical activity in general (Weaver et al, 2015). Staff training has been found to be one of the greatest challenges faced in providing program opportunities for youth (Herrera & Arbreton, 2003) and staff are frequently unprepared to incorporate TPSR appropriately (Forneris, Whitley, & Barker, 2013). One way to ensure that the appropriate skills are developed and utilized is for PYD programs to partner with university faculty.…”

‘I'm proud of what I achieved; I'm also ashamed of what I done’: a soccer coach's tale of sport, status, and criminal behaviour

“…Attention has been directed towards how these challenges can be overcome, with participation in organised sport frequently cited as an option (Coalter 2012;Forneris et al 2013, Hartmann and Kwauk 2011, Haudenhuyse et al 2012. Despite the intuitive appeal of such a hypothesis, seldom has research explored how or why sport can help divert disadvantaged adults and young people from antisocial and criminal behaviours.…”

“…Based on this supposition, a number of sports-based diversionary and education programmes have been introduced in an attempt to reduce crime, promote positive developmental experiences, and provide employment and vocational opportunities for disadvantaged young people (Forneris et al 2013). During the 1990s, for example, the Midnight Basketball programmes used the popularity of basketball in poor inner-city areas across the United States to reduce crime and prevent violence from being carried out by young males (Hartmann 2001).…”

Expanding the sport and physical activity research landscape through community scholarship: introduction

“…Accounting for the diverse meanings of community that have not been fully accounted for in sport and physical activity research (Forneris et al 2013), one useful response we have found lies in the words of Cutworth (2013): 'Community-engaged scholarship is scholarly work undertaken in partnership with communities, draws on multiple sources of knowledge, crosses disciplinary lines and is reciprocal and mutually beneficial' (p. 14). This question is particularly important to respond to since without an understanding confusion can reign and, as we aim to readdress in the final paper in this issue, judging what counts as 'good' and 'bad' community work can become even more difficult.…”