Conducive sport environments for disadvantaged youth

Background: Sport participation has been associated with improved life prospects such as academic performance and employability prospects. As such, promoting sport participation might be a way to increase life prospects, especially for socially vulnerable youth because they are less physically active than their peers. However, the evidence for the causal effect of sport participation on these outcomes is still limited and little is known about factors that play a role in this possible effect. The aim of this study is four-fold. First, the causal effect of sport participation on life prospects is studied and the underlying mechanisms of this relation are explored. Secondly, the life experiences of the youngsters in the sport context, that may contribute to skill development, are studied. Thirdly, social conditions of a positive effect are explored, as sport is likely to have a positive effect under specific conditions. Fourthly, this study aims to provide insights on the elements of successful partnerships between youth care organisations and local sport clubs.

Methods and design: This protocol reports on a mixed method study. An intervention that aims to increase the sport participation of socially vulnerable youth, between 12-23 years old, is implemented in three regions of a Rotterdam youth care organisation. The youngsters in the two control regions receive care-as-usual. The main outcome variables, collected via questionnaires, are the life prospect, sense of coherence and self-regulation skills of the youngsters after 6 and 18 months of follow-up. The Motivational Climate Scale is administered to explore the social conditions for a positive effect and interviews are conducted with sport coaches to explore their role in skill development. Interviews with the youngsters are conducted to gain insight on the life experiences that may lead to skill development. The elements of successful partnerships are collected during interviews with youth care professionals, sport coaches and other stakeholders in the sport context.
Discussion: The results of this study can support efforts of youth care organisations and local sport clubs to improve the life prospects of socially vulnerable youth through sport participation.

The study has four aims:

1. To provide insights into the causal relationship between sport participation and life prospects of socially vulnerable youth and the underlying mechanism by which sport can improve life prospects.

2. To explore the life experiences in the sport context of socially vulnerable youth that can lead to skill development.

3. To examine the social conditions that may strengthen the positive effect of sport on life prospects.

4. To provide insights into the organizational context of successful sport inclusion in youth care practices by exploring elements of successful and enduring partnerships between professional and voluntary organizations

Baseline

After 6 months

After 18 months

Youngsters in the intervention group will be encouraged by the youth care professionals to sport as part of their care program at local sport organisations. The youth care professional will inventory, together with the client, the possibilities of sport participation and will guide youngsters to local sport organisations. One of the professionals, The Buurtsportcoach (BSC), will have a pivotal role in the intervention. The BSC will motivate and train the youth care professionals in the experimental condition to integrate sport in the care that they deliver and to guide their youngsters to local sport organisations as part of the youngster’s care program. In addition, the BSC has a crucial role in the collaboration of local sport organisations and the youth care professionals. As a key-player in the network he is able to spark initiatives of collaboration and to identify local sport organisations that are especially capable of training the youngsters.