RT Article
T1 Young People’s Perceptions of the Influence of a Sport-for-Social-Change Program on Their Life Trajectories
JF Social Inclusion
VO 8
IS 3
SP 162
OP 176
A1 Cunningham, Rob
A1 Bunde-Birouste, Anne
A1 Rawstorne, Patrick
A1 Nathan, Sally
LA English
PB Cogitatio Press
YR 2020
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1788915445
AB Sport-for-social-change programs focusing on enhancing young people’s personal and social development emerged in the early to mid-2000s. Children and adolescents who participated in early programs are now adults, providing an opportunity to examine whether these programs have had any influence on their life trajectories. The Football United program has been operating in Sydney, Australia, since 2006 and is used as a case study in this article. This qualitative study draws on 20 interviews conducted in 2018 with a diverse sample of past participants of the program. Key findings were that participants perceived that the relationships they formed at Football United have had a substantial impact on their life trajectories, including influencing education and career decisions. These relationships were found to increase participants’ social capital, creating diverse connections with people and institutions within and external to their geographical communities. This study also found participants embraced a long-term commitment to ‘give back’ to their local geographical, cultural, and ethnic communities, which they attributed to their participation in the program.
K1 Australia
K1 Sydney
K1 football
K1 Social Capital
K1 Sport
K1 sport-for-social change
K1 youth development
DO 10.17645/si.v8i3.2828