Community-based Sports Research Articles

Community engagement and sport? Building capacity to increase opportunities for community-based sport and physical activity

ABSTRACTAn ‘engagement through sport’ agenda has emerged in the last few years in Australia, expecting sport governing organizations to increase opportunities of inclusion in sport and physical activity in the community. However, it can be maintained that stagnant or declining physical activity must be addressed through a sound community development approach that transcends sport per se in favour of broader benefits and objectives of participation. This paper reports on the development of a community project in South Australia, run in collaboration between a tertiary education provider and sport, education, community, government and charity organizations. The project provides an example of good practice for efforts to increase physical activity among disadvantaged populations. In particular, it highlights that capacity-building strategies to form partnerships with organizations having access to an appropriate pool of volunteers can assist with increasing physical activity at the community level as well as contribute to broader community development outcomes.

Therapeutic Recreation Empowering Kids: Exploring best practices in transition

The purpose of this article is to describe the collaborative components of a school and community-based recreation therapy (RT) program designed to support the educational, developmental, and transitional needs of students with disabilities in the K-12 public school system in New Hampshire. The program, Therapeutic Recreation Empowering Kids (TREK), is one of three core service areas of the University of New Hampshire's Northeast Passage, community-based adaptive sport and RT organization. This article focuses on TREK's transition services, which align with many of the recommended best practices in transition. TREK services are delivered in school and community settings by state licensed Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists to students with disabilities, in accordance with their individualized education plans. Beginning as early as elementary school, through the use of purposeful RT interventions, community integration, and meaningful inclusion, the TREK therapist facilitates valued transition outcomes. In furtherance of these outcomes, the TREK therapist functions as a critical broker in establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial cross-system collaborative partnerships. The purpose of these partnerships is explored, demonstrating how the TREK program facilitates recreation therapists' ability to successfully partner with K-12 public school personnel, community providers and the families of students, all of which potentiate synergistic partnerships toward accomplishing mutual transition goals. A case example is provided to illustrate ways in which the program impacts those involved and encourages continued collaboration.

Coaches' Criteria for Player Selection for Games in Community-Based Sports Clubs in Japan

Coaches' Criteria for Player Selection for Games in Community-Based Sports Clubs in Japan

Community-Based Sports Activities in Northern California, USA.

Community-Based Sports Activities in Northern California, USA.

Aggressive Behaviors of Mothers in Community-Based Sports Clubs in Japan: The Effect of the Target Child’s Skill and Closeness to His/Her Mother on the Degree of Bench Harassment

Aggressive Behaviors of Mothers in Community-Based Sports Clubs in Japan: The Effect of the Target Child’s Skill and Closeness to His/Her Mother on the Degree of Bench Harassment

Implementing a game sense approach in youth sport coaching: Challenges, change and resistance

Despite the potential that Game Sense offers to re-energize and reconstruct youth sport coaching, it has yet to make a significant impact on youth sport coaching in Australia or New Zealand. While research has examined the challenges that teachers face in implementing such innovation in school physical education, little attention has been paid to the identification and examination of factors restraining the development of understanding approaches by coaches in youth sport. Given the importance of communitybased sport in countries such as Australia and New Zealand this represents a significant oversight in the literature. In setting out to redress this oversight this paper draws on a series of interviews conducted with Australian coaches over 2002 and 2003 to explore the challenges of putting a Game Sense approach to coaching into practice in youth sport settings. It identifies sport coaching as a complex social practice in which social interaction and a dominant culture of coaching provide significant challenges for coaches wishing to develop a Game Sense approach.

Sports Day in Canada: examining the benefits for event organizers (2010–2013)

The impact of large-scale, ‘mass’ community-based sport, and physical activity (PA) events on population PA has yet to be established. The enhancement of organizational capacity to support health promotion initiatives is one mechanism through which such events may be helpful. Sports Day in Canada (SDIC) is an annual, nation-wide event celebrating the role of sport within communities and promoting sport participation. Beginning in 2010, thousands of Canadian sport and PA organizations have created SDIC events each year. The objective of this study was to examine the types of organizations who participate in SDIC and to determine if and how these organizations benefit from hosting an event. Online surveys of event organizers (2010 to 2013 SDIC) were conducted. Descriptive analyses identified organization and event characteristics, and one-way ANOVAs across time assessed event organizers’ perceptions related to their overall satisfaction, benefits obtained, and challenges faced while participating in SDIC. Findings showed that organizations were mainly from the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec, worked with children and youth, and registered an event that was a tournament or school based. There was a significant increase in overall satisfaction [F(3, 996) = 27.26, p < .001] and benefits obtained [F(3, 1000) = 18.36, p < .001] across all four years of SDIC. One main benefit reported by organizations was an increased awareness and interest among community members in sport program(s) offered by their organization. Mass events like SDIC may help enhance organizational capacity to deliver health promotion initiatives including sport and PA programming.

A partnership-based evaluation of a community-based youth sport and physical activity programme

The aim of this paper is to assess the partnership component of a community-based youth sport for development programme, Kids in Shape (KIS), through the application of the partnership management model proposed by Parent and Harvey (2009. "Toward A Management Model For Sport and Physical Activity Community-Based Partnerships," European Sport Management Quarterly 9: 23-45), in order to contribute to knowledge about the conditions needed for positive outcomes in such programmes. A longitudinal case study of KIS and its Local Action Committee (LAC) was built using LAC archival material and partner interviews. Overall, the KIS approach was deemed successful by the partners, with key conditions for positive outcomes including: time; funding availability; proper governance structures and processes; focusing on synergy, momentum, fairness and local ownership; creating policies and procedures; multiple types of communication; understanding of and engagement with the challenges and costs of association; emphasizing access to new resources; a neutral coordinator; and partner-developed evaluations that consider the processes, impacts and outcomes for participants, partners and the overall project.

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

Many community-based sport and physical activity programs take a positive youth development approach when operating in underserved communities around the world (Forneris, Whitley, & Barker, 2013). However, one of the biggest challenges for these programs is sustainability (Lindsey, 2008). The purpose of this article is to present the 3 authors’ experiences related to program sustainability when working with community-based sport and physical activity programs using a positive youth development approach in underserved communities. The authors describe the challenges faced with program sustainability, including ineffective development approaches, building strong relationships with community partners, knowledge translation, and securing funding. Also described are the strategies used to overcome these challenges, such as planning, capacity building, recruitment, and evaluation. This article is intended to stimulate more open and honest discussions about the realities of positive youth development program sustainability around the world.

The contribution of sport participation to overall health enhancing physical activity levels in Australia: a population-based study.

BackgroundThe contribution of sport to overall health-enhancing leisure-time physical activity (HELPA) in adults is not well understood. The aim was to examine this in a national sample of Australians aged 15+ years, and to extend this examination to other ostensibly sport-associated activities.MethodsThe 2010 Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS) was conducted by telephone interview in four quarterly waves. Data from this survey were analysed to categorise leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) as HELPA or non-HELPA, and to categorise HELPA activities and sessions of HELPA activity by setting and frequency. The contribution of sport to HELPA was estimated, both directly through activities and settings classified as sport per se, and indirectly through other fitness activities ostensibly related to preparation for sport and enhancement of sport performance.ResultsOf 21,602 respondents, 82 % reported some LTPA in the 12 months prior to the survey. In aggregate, respondents reported 37,020 activity types in the previous 12 months, of which 94 % were HELPA. Of HELPA activities, 71 % were non-organised, 11 % were organised but not sport club-based, and 18 % were sport club-based. Of all sport activities, 52 % were HELPA. Of sport HELPA, 33 % was sport club-based and 78 % was undertaken ≥12 times/year. Sport club members were significantly more likely to have participated in running, but significantly less likely to have participated in walking or aerobics/fitness training, than non-club members.ConclusionsClub sport participation contributes considerably to LTPA at health enhancing levels. Health promotion policies, and more specifically physical activity policies, should emphasize the role of sport in enhancing health. Sport policy should recognise the health-promoting role of community-based sport in addition to the current predominant focus on elite pathways.

Towards a more equitable and inclusive learning environment in Sport Education: results of an action research-based intervention

This study was designed to examine and intervene into student behaviours to promote a democratic, inclusive and participatory focus within Sport Education. To achieve an increased understanding of and changes within student behaviours, a collaborative participatory action research methodology was applied to provide voice to students as agents of change. The research progressed throughout an entire school year and was cast in two stages. The first was a season of Basketball that provided some baseline with respect to issues of equity and inclusion. This was followed by an intervention stage (seasons of Handball, Soccer and Volleyball) in which the identified issues were acted upon. Based upon issues unearthed during the action research cycles the intervention focused on legitimating different levels of participation through (1) a reconfiguration of the learning content, peer teaching activities and competition formats, (2) the discussion of inequity, exclusion, gender stereotyping and discrimination emerging from group dynamics within focus groups interviews and (3) the promotion of positive leadership behaviours of the student coaches through leadership seminars conducted outside the gym. By the end of the year, there was significant evidence of inclusive membership accompanied by the development of mutual trust among students and shared contributions towards a common and inclusive goal. A close interrelatedness was found between game competence development, trajectories of participation and sense of membership, the restructuring of power relations and the sharing of knowledge and investment of dominant and higher-skilled students towards more inclusive team goals. The Sport Education curriculum alone was insufficient to dismantle the deeply rooted negative cultural influences of community-based sports that influenced equity and inclusion. However, by planning and implementing a specific intervention that used the educational resources of Sport Education proactively it was possible to promote a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Assessing the sociology of sport: On sport organizations and neoliberal discourses

On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, a key figure in the sociology of sport in Norway, Jorid Hovden, assesses research into sport organizations and the pressures of neoliberal discourses. In considering the trajectory of research into non-profit sport organizations, focus is given to the ideological tensions in the field today and how neoliberal management discourses may contribute to weakening the impact of sociological concerns. Key challenges in inquiry are anchored in the contradictory and mutually exclusive paradigms for research into sport organizations, with one stream reliant on management functionalities that are remiss in considering power relations and the other a critical stream that emphasizes diversity and equity. These differences are amplified in the methodological schisms between the two streams, with a bias towards epistemological orthodoxy, positivist logic, and empirical evidence crowding out critical and cultural stocktaking. In the future, sociological inquiry into non-profit sport organizations will be challenged by the dominance of a ‘new managerialism’ that portrays organizations as rational, action-oriented systems, where individual action, competitiveness, and entrepreneurialism are embedded logics. Scholarship using critical paradigms will need to fight effectively to develop alternative knowledge formations to help advance democratic and community-based sport organizations and reduce power differences, exclusion, and inequalities.

Increasing Transition Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities: Steps to Follow in Program Selection

Participation in community-based recreation and sport programs has been shown to help in the transition process of youth with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to provide two examples of successful programs and their benefits for youth with disabilities.

“Sport is community:” An exploration of urban Aboriginal peoples' meanings of community within the context of sport

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to better understand the meanings of community, particularly as it is understood within the context of sport, for urban Aboriginal youth and adults in Edmonton, Alberta. DesignA community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach was used to guide this research. MethodOne-on-one interviews were conducted with 18 Aboriginal youth and adults. Data was analyzed using Elo and Kyngäs' (2008) process of content analysis. The integrated indigenous-ecological model was used as a framework for data analysis and the interpretation of findings. ResultsFindings are represented by five themes that are supported by direct quotes from participants. Participants described community as: (1) belonging, (2) family and friends, (3) supportive interactions, (4) sport, and (5) where you live and come from. ConclusionsFindings from this research suggest that urban Aboriginal youth identify with a number of different communities, and their complex meanings of communities are comprised of various interpersonal level factors. The knowledge shared by participants provides necessary insights into meanings of community, which are necessary for ensuring that community-driven and community-based sport programs are relevant to Aboriginal youth.

Sports coach as transformative leader: arresting school disengagement through community sport-based initiatives

Reducing social exclusion through interventions designed to sustain school engagement is a key aim of the education and social policy of any government. This paper is a response to the call for there to be more focused empirical sports coaching research through examining the transformative potential of community-based sports coaches to support schools in arresting school disengagement. By embracing an understanding that challenges the definitional core of sports coaching as simply improving the sporting performance of an individual or team, and, drawing theoretically on the work of Carlisle et al. and Shields, the role of ‘coach as transformative leader’ is articulated. Analysis of data collected by means of semi-structured interviews with a group of community-based sports coaches (n = 8) revealed three factors salient to our understanding of re-engaging young people with formal education through sport. These were the impact of the community sport programme; the relationship between schools and community sports groups; and the implementation of transformative leadership qualities by sport coaching practitioners. Importantly, this paper explicates the pivotal function that coaching practice which embraces transformative leadership principles can have on reorienting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds towards more optimistic futures and educational objectives.

Summertime Physical Activity Opportunities for Youths with Visual Impairments and Their Families

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) recommends that children and adolescents participate in at least one hour of physical activity per day. Now that the school year has finished and school-based physical activity opportunities have come to a halt, it becomes essential for families to provide opportunities for children to be physically active. This commentary will discuss sports camps for individuals with visual impairments and physical activities for families as options to engage children and adolescents with visual impairments in the recommended amount of daily physical activity. SUMMER CAMPS THAT ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Summer sports camps are a way of life for many school-aged individuals in the developed world. This seasonal tradition is no different for school-aged individuals with visual impairments, since the availability of sport-related camp experiences designed specifically for individuals with visual impairments has increased substantially over the past 20 years. For example, Camp Abilities, a one week developmental sports camp for children with visual impairments, has grown to encompass more than 2,000 children and teenagers in over 22 locations in the United States and Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Finland, and Ireland over the past 18 years (Lieberman, Lepore, & Haegele, in press). Other sports camps (for example, sports education camps) are also spread across the United States and contribute to the physical activity education of students with visual impairments during the summer months. There are numerous benefits to participating in summer sports camps for individuals with visual impairments. They provide physical activity opportunities by introducing sports specifically designed for individuals with visual impairments (goalball and beep baseball, for example), modified sports, and recreational opportunities. In addition, such camps provide students the tools they need to be more involved in physical activities during the school year. Prior to attending summer sports camps, many students with visual impairments are unsure of their ability to participate in physical activities. This sentiment tends to change, however, as they gain experience with a variety of sports, learn about modifications that can be applied to various sports, and participate in discussions about how to advocate for themselves. Many athletes with visual impairments leave summer sports camps with information about afterschool and community-based sports and recreation activities that they can participate in throughout the year. The knowledge students gain about advocacy methods and modifications for physical activities allow them to participate more effectively and be successfully included in sports. In addition, many of the advocacy tools and modification strategies can be applied during the school year in physical education classes, furthering the ability of students to advocate for themselves. Sports camps teach students with visual impairments what they can achieve in the areas of sports and recreation as evidenced by the fact that many former Camp Abilities participants have joined afterschool, community-based, and collegiate sports teams after completing several summers at camp. For more information on sports camps, please visit the following website: . More information on Camp Abilities, including contact information for each location around the globe, can also be found online: . PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECC There are many physical activities that families of children with visual impairments can participate in together during summertime. In addition to providing opportunities to be physically active, some of the activities we will describe can also contribute to aspects of the overall education of children with visual impairments. Recently, scholars identified the ways in which the nine components of the expanded core curriculum (ECC) can be met in physical education classes with proper planning (Lieberman, Haegele, Columna, & Conroy, 2014). …

Community-based recreational football: a novel approach to promote physical activity and quality of life in prostate cancer survivors.

As the number of cancer survivors continues to increase, there is an increasing focus on management of the long-term consequences of cancer including health promotion and prevention of co-morbidity. Prostate cancer is the most frequent type of cancer type in men and causes increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Epidemiological evidence points to a positive effect of regular physical activity on all-cause and prostate cancer mortality and current clinical evidence supports the use of exercise in cancer rehabilitation. However, the external validity of existing exercise studies is limited and the majority of prostate cancer survivors remain sedentary. Hence, novel approaches to evaluate and promote physical activity are warranted. This paper presents the rationale behind the delivery and evaluation of community-based recreational football offered in existing football clubs under the Danish Football Association to promote quality of life and physical activity adherence in prostate cancer survivors. The RE-AIM framework will be applied to evaluate the impact of the intervention including outcomes both at the individual and organizational level. By introducing community-based sport environments, the study offers a novel approach in the strive towards sustained physical activity adherence and accessibility in prostate cancer survivors.

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

In recent years, underserved communities have received much attention within the field of positive youth development (PYD). While there are an increasing number of opportunities for underserved youth to join PYD-based programs, there is growing concern surrounding the lack of critical evaluation of these programs (Kidd, 2008). Unfortunately, there are numerous challenges related to evaluation within underserved communities and in international settings that often prevent or disrupt the research process. These challenges include difficulty building trust with the target population, power relations, obtaining parental consent, demonstrating cultural competence, and attrition. Moreover, these challenges are rarely discussed in the literature (Knight, Roosa, & Umaña-Taylor, 2009). The primary goal of this article is to present an open discussion of such challenges using case studies from four distinct programs implemented with four different underserved communities. In addition, the limited empirical evidence regarding these challenges is presented, along with potential solutions for consideration in future research efforts.

Test of Self-Determination Theory in Swimmers With and Without Down Syndrome

Abstract Self-determination theory (SDT) may offer insight into the motives behind sport participation by individuals with Down syndrome (DS). The Pictorial Motivation Scale (PMS), developed by Poulin (1992), evaluated the motivation of junior athletes with (n = 15) and without DS (n = 15) participating in inclusive community-based swimming. In line with SDT, cluster analyses showed that intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation were all present in athletes with and without disabilities. Swimmers with DS scored significantly higher in intrinsic motivation than non–self-determined extrinsic motivation (−0.45, p &amp;lt; 0.001) and amotivation (−1.28, p &amp;lt; 0.001), suggesting involvement in community-based inclusive sport may promote enhanced psychological functioning in this sample. Further research may be warranted into the motivation of athletes with DS across longer periods of time.

基于治理理论的社区体育管理机制探析

基于公共治理理论的视角审视我国目前社区体育管理机制，发现其存在着诸多问题：1) 组织管理方面：体育组织形式单一，体育治理发育不良，体育管理法制环境不佳；2) 服务管理方面：体育服务管理人才缺乏、体育基础设施供给不足、经费紧缺，体育信息服务亟待完善；3) 文化管理方面：体育活动内容单调，社区居民主动参与意识不强。因此研究认为：应当进一步支持发展体育社区治理，实行民办官助、自营自治的组织管理形式；充分发挥法规政策、资金设施、体育指导等系统要素的协同效应；丰富社区体育多元化服务内容，贯穿“以人为本”的服务宗旨，以其推进社区体育事业健康有序快速的发展。Reviewing the current community-based sports management mechanism based on the perspective of public governance theory, it is found that there are many problems: 1) organizational management: sports organizations form is single; sport governance is not developed well; legal environment of sports management is poor; 2) service management: sports service lacks man-agement personnel; supply of sports infrastructure is insufficient with funding shortages; sports information service needs improvement; 3) cultural management: sports activities are monotonous; community residents are not active to participate. Therefore, the study suggests that: com-munity-based sports should be further supported, which are run by the local with official aid and in the form of self-autonomy; the synergy of regulations and policies, funding facilities, and sports guidance system elements should be maximized; diversified services of community-based sports should be enriched through a “people-oriented” principle, to promote rapid development of community-based sports healthily and orderly.