Sport Involvement Research Articles

Exploring the Experiences and Perceptions of Adults With Spinal Cord Injury or Disease Aged 50 Years or Older on Participation in Sports.

Sports are physical activities that provide physical, psychological, and social benefits for individuals with spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D). However, most sports research has been completed on individuals with SCI/D who are aged >50 years, even though the majority of people with SCI/D are aged >50 years. Despite substantial evidence supporting sports for older adults not living with a disability, there is currently no research examining the impact of sports for adults with SCI/D aged ≥50 years. To explore the perceptions and experiences of individuals with SCI/D aged 50 years or older who participate in sports in the community. Fifteen adults with SCI/D aged ≥50 years who participated in community-based sports were interviewed. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Conventional content analysis was applied to the data. The overarching theme identified was that sports are fun and adaptable physical activities that have the potential to optimize physical, psychological, and social health in all people with SCI/D, regardless of age. Within this overarching theme, six categories surfaced: (1) importance of participating in sports later in life, (2) prioritizing health over performance, (3) uncertainties about participating in sports later in life, (4) reflections on participating in sports later in life, (5) beliefs on alternative sports involvement, and (6) advice for other aging adults with SCI/D considering sports. Sports are perceived to provide physical, psychological, and social benefits for individuals with SCI/D aged 50 years or older. Findings will inform the development of future adaptive sports programs for older individuals with SCI/D.

Navigating divorce, single-motherhood and long-distance triathlon: a visual-autoethnography

Whilst discourses of motherhood, such as the ‘ethic of care’ and intensive parenting are powerful and persuasive, no form of motherhood can be acceptable to all. In this visual autoethnography, researcher generated photographs, excerpts from training logs and personal narrative texts are used to explore some of the underlying discourses and assumptions associated with motherhood and sport from the perspective of a single parent. Employing a poststructural lens the author explores the ways in which she has knowingly negotiated her identity as a single mother and competitive-recreational long distant triathlete. The research places a spotlight on the significant support role that children can play in relation to adult involvement in sport, turning the tables on the existing focus on parent-athlete relationships. The findings provide further evidence of the value of sports clubs in supporting the continued participation of mothers, adding to the research on sport and parenthood and family studies.

Examination of Fair Play Approaches of High School Students who Participate in School Sports and not

In order to improve people's behavior in line with the spirit of fair play, both in the world of athletics and in the social sphere, it is vital to challenge the phenomenon of fair play at all educational levels. All social actors agree that it is possible to establish communities in which fair play behaviors are common, but only with the education that must be provided from a young age. This study aims to investigate high school students’ perceptions of fair play, both among those who participate in and among those who do not participate in school sports. A total of 145 female students make up the study’s sample, including 104 female students studying in the Mardin province who have previously participated in volleyball at their schools and 41 female students who have not. Aside from the demographic information form created by the researchers, the “Multidimensional Sportsmanship Orientation Scale” was used as a data collection tool in the study. The package program SPSS 21.0 was used to analyze the information that had been gathered. The information collected from the participants was interpreted using frequency, percentage distributions, and nonparametric tests. Significant differences were found in the variables of age (in favor of older age), school type (in favor of imam hatip high school), and mother's employment status (in favor of non-working). Variables such as involvement in school sports, family income, mother’s education level, and father’s occupation were not found to differ significantly.

Interactions between genetic risk for 21 neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders and sport activity on youth mental health

Childhood is a sensitive period where behavioral disturbances, determined by genetics and environmental factors including sport activity, may emerge and impact risk of mental illness in adulthood. We aimed to determine if participation in sports can mitigate genetic risk for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in youth. We analyzed 4975 unrelated European youth (ages 9–10) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Our outcomes were eight Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores, measured annually. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were calculated for 21 disorders, and sport frequency and type were summarized. PRSs and sport variables were tested for main effects and interactions against CBCL outcomes using linear models. Cross-sectionally, PRSs for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and major depressive disorder were associated with increases in multiple CBCL outcomes. Participation in non-contact or team sports, as well as more frequent sport participation reduced all cross-sectional CBCL outcomes, whereas involvement in contact sports increased attention problems and rule-breaking behavior. Interactions revealed that more frequent exercise was significantly associated with less rule breaking behavior in individuals with high genetic risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. Associations with longitudinal CBCL outcomes demonstrated weaker effects. We highlight the importance of genetic context when considering sports as an intervention for early life behavioural problems.

An empirical study on attitudes toward gambling when sportswashing is involved.

Sportswashing is defined as individuals, groups, companies, or countries/regimes' involvement in sports to improve their own reputation and/or to distract from or normalize wrongdoing. This cross-sectional survey is the first empirical study on sportswashing in relation to gambling. The sample consisted of United Kingdom residents who reported past 12-month gambling (N = 786, 50% women, mean age = 45.6, SD = 15.2). We investigated how many were familiar with sportswashing and their attitudes toward gambling when sportswashing is involved. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted on the attitudes scale that was developed for the current study. Multiple regressions were used to examine if individual differences in terms of age, gender, personality, moral foundations, political trust and efficacy, and/or gambling risk were associated with such attitudes. Finally, we examined the percentage of people who avoid gambling on teams/events when sportswashing is involved, including group differences in avoidance and motivations for avoidance according to gambling risk. The results showed that only 32% had heard about sportswashing prior to the survey. CFA indicated that attitudes toward sportswashing and gambling as conceptualized in the scale used in the current study can broadly be categorized into two dimensions: How individuals relate to sportswashing when gambling ("self-factor") and how individuals think gambling companies and regulators should regulate sportswashing and gambling [an "external-factor," p < 0.001, CFI = 0.0.996, RMSEA = 0.090, 90% CI (0.077, 0.104)]. Multiple regressions indicated that measures of individual differences explained a significant amount of variance in self-oriented (F (17, 765) = 7.19, p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.12) and external-oriented (F (17, 765) = 8.40, p < 0.001. adjusted R2 = 0.14) attitude toward gambling and sportswashing. Avoidance of betting when sportswashing is involved was reported by 43%. The proportion was lower among those with moderate gambling risk/problem gambling (35%) compared to those with no/low gambling risk (45%). It is concluded that further scale development could help elucidate individual differences in attitudes toward sportswashing and gambling. Sportswashing remains an important social issue, and the present study indicates that this has high relevance for the gambling field.

Effect of Sports Participation on Academic Performance in High School Student

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of sports participation on academic performance in high school students in Uk.&#x0D; Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.&#x0D; Findings: The impact of sports participation on the academic performance of high school students is a subject of substantial interest. While research suggests a positive association between sports involvement and academic success, there is a notable gap in understanding the underlying mechanisms and contextual factors that either mediate or moderate this relationship. Additionally, the influence of sports specialization and the duration of sports engagement on academic outcomes require further exploration. Furthermore, cross-cultural studies beyond specific geographical contexts are limited, leaving questions about the universality or context-specific nature of this phenomenon.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Social Integration Theory, The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and The Physical Activity and Academic Performance (PAAP) Model may be used to anchor future studies on the effect of sports participation on academic performance in high school students. High schools should prioritize creating balanced schedules that allow students to participate in sports without compromising their academic commitments. Education policymakers should ensure that opportunities for sports participation are inclusive and equitable across schools, regardless of their socio-economic status.

Sports Volunteer Involvement in Strategies to Increase Sports Community Participation: Systematic Review

This study aims to analyze the involvement of sports volunteers in strategies to increase community participation in sports. This type of research is a Systematic Review. Article searches were carried out using a comprehensive strategy on research journal databases such as Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, and Pubmed. The keywords used are sports volunteers, sports participation, exercise motivation, and physical exercise. The inclusion criteria were international journals published in the last 8 years (starting in 2023) and articles discussing sports volunteers, sports participation, physical exercise, and motivation. Furthermore, the exclusion criteria are articles published in journals that are published in disreputable journals. A total of 4.571 articles from the Web of Science, Pubmed, Scopus, and Embase databases were identified. A further 10 articles that met all inclusion requirements or at least some of them were selected for this systematic review. For standard opera-tionalization, this study follow the Preferred ReportingIItems for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The results of the review show that the important role of sports volunteers is in increasing community participation to actively exercise. Volunteers have the potential to increase motivation so they are able to collaborate in sporting events and increase community participation in getting involved in sporting events. Furthermore, Sports volunteers are useful for sports clubs to be able to develop strategies for volunteer involvement in each sport. By considering the potential of sports volunteers, this can also increase community involvement in sports according to the sports they are interested in. Keywords: voluntary sports, sports, community participation in sports

Investigation of Sportsmanship Orientations of Students Studying at the Faculty of Sports Sciences

Aim: This research aims to examine the students studying at the faculty of sports sciences and physical education and sports colleges by different variables according to the multidimensional sportsmanship scale. Materials &amp; Methods: The universe of the research consists of students studying at the faculty of sports sciences at 7 Aralık Üniversitesi and physical education and sports colleges. The sample of the study consists of a total of 453 students, 210 male and 243 female, who were randomly selected from among the students. A personal information form developed by the researchers was used to collect information about the independent variables. The Turkish version of the multidimensional sportsmanship orientation scale developed by Vallerand et al. (1997) was used as a data collection tool to measure students’ sportsmanship orientation the scale whose validity and reliability study was conducted by Balçıkan (2010). While evaluating the findingsobtained in the study, SPSS 25 was used for statistical analysis. While evaluating the study data, descriptive statistical methods were used. Independent sample T-Test and ANOVA Test were used in the analysis of the data. In the analyses, the level of significance was determined as p&lt;0.05. Results: In the findings, it was determined that while there was a significant difference according to the age variable of the department and the variable of active sports involvement, there was no significant difference on the sportsmanship orientation in terms of the gender variable and the variable of the department they studied. Conclusion: When we examine the multidimensional sportsmanship orientations of the faculty of sports sciences and physical education and sports school students in terms of different variables, it has been concluded that the older students exhibitmore sportsmanship attitudes, and the students who do active sports have more sportsmanship orientations than those who do not do sports.

Visual representations of single- and multi-sport participation in a youth swimming sample: Implications for definitions and discussions of early specialization.

Academic literature and sport policy documents have cited concerns about an increasing prevalence of early sport specialization, with associated burnout, dropout, and injury. However, evidence to support such statements is limited. Definitions of early specialization vary, but a common criterion is continued participation in a single sport, prior to adolescence. We explored the prevalence of single-sport participation and other patterns of sport involvement from ages 6-12 in a Canadian swimming sample using retrospective longitudinal methods. Parents of 236 competitive swimmers (ages 12-17) completed surveys on their children's sport backgrounds, including the number of sports participated in annually from age 6-12. A cluster heat map elucidated single- and multi-sport patterns over time. Mixed analyses of variance tested for differences by gender and club type. Fourteen percent of our sample showed stable participation in either one sport or multiple sports per year over time, 25% decreased their annual number of sports, and 60% increased. This trend of increasing, rather than decreasing the number of sports in their annual activity roster when approaching age 12 was particularly pronounced for girls. Only 10 participants (4% of the sample) consistently engaged in a single sport each year from age 6-12. Summer (seasonal) swimmers consistently did more sports than year-round swimmers. Overall, our findings showed highly idiosyncratic longitudinal patterns of sport participation that did not easily conform to current sport activity guidelines. We also found similar idiosyncrasy in an ad-hoc analysis of participants who had dropped out of swimming a year later. If single-sport participation is considered a key criterion for defining early specialization, our findings suggest the prevailing narrative around early specialization may be overstated in relation to the number of single-sport athletes. Alternatively, other components of early specialization may be more prevalent and deserving of attention due to possible associations with harmful outcomes.

Clinical pharmacy services at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and the sports pharmacist training program

AbstractIntroductionPrevious studies published on past Olympic and Paralympic Games have reported the role of pharmacists within different disciplines of healthcare services; however, emphasis on their clinical pharmacy services was limited. Furthermore, only a few studies have addressed pharmacists' involvement in sports, with the majority focusing on the organizational and managerial aspects of pharmacies. Sports and other pharmacists are well‐positioned to advise athletes and other healthcare professionals on how to promote and maintain health. Pharmacists should be properly trained in sports medicine.MethodsTo illustrate this point, this review analyzes pharmacy services at polyclinics and medical stations in the athletes' villages at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and shares examples of clinical interventions performed by pharmacists. This review also examines the level of satisfaction with their work and educational programs prior to the games.ResultsThese results show that despite coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)‐related complications in the Tokyo 2020 Games, pharmacists appropriately managed infection control, provided anti‐doping‐based pharmacy services, and implemented clinical interventions. As one of intervention results, 268 inquiries from pharmacists to physicians regarding prescriptions were recorded. Among the most common inquiries regarding prescriptions 89 resulted in changes in quantity and 76 resulted in changes in usage. Simultaneously, the questionnaire administered to the volunteer pharmacists showed a high level of satisfaction with their participation as healthcare professionals and with the pre‐Game training, as well as with their gained knowledge. Furthermore, the need for further extensive training related to rules specific to the Olympic and Paralympic Games was identified.ConclusionWe hope that this review will be useful to future pharmacists pursuing expertise in sports.

Antecedents and outcomes of attendees’ love for sports events during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This study examined motivational orientations as a key to fostering love for sports events. This study articulates the moderating role of sports involvement in the relationship between love for sports events and an intention to co-create value. A total of 353 usable completed questionnaires were used to test the conceptual model using a generalised structured component analysis. The results of structural equation modelling indicated that love for events was driven by enjoyment motivation and self-congruence. Love for sports events also mediated the relationships between intention in co-creating value and both enjoyment motivation and self-congruence. This study contributes to the literature by expanding cognitive appraisal theory by indicating the impact from a psychological perspective on sports consumption behaviour.

How Does Service Quality Improve Consumer Loyalty in Sports Fitness Centers? The Moderating Role of Sport Involvement

In the context of sports fitness centers, understanding the relationship between service quality and customer experience is crucial for enhancing customer loyalty and building long-term relationships. This study aims to explore the impact of service quality factors on customer satisfaction, trust, commitment, and loyalty, with a specific focus on the moderating role of sport involvement in shaping consumer experiences and perceptions. For this purpose, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 606 consumers of sports fitness centers in Zhengzhou, China. The results of a latent moderated structural equation (LMS) analysis via Mplus version 8 indicate a positive relationship between tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy with customer satisfaction in sports fitness centers. Additionally, customer satisfaction positively affects trust and customer commitment, which in turn positively affect loyalty. Furthermore, sport involvement moderates the effects of reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy on satisfaction. Finally, trust and commitment mediate the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. The present study has theoretical implications through illuminating the process mechanism of the effect of service quality on consumer loyalty, and it empirically shows different patterns of consumer experiences depending on sport involvement. Additionally, the results provide practical implications for developing effective service quality in sports fitness centers.

Effects of Exercise and Sports Intervention and the Involvement Level on the Mineral Health of Different Bone Sites in the Leg, Hip, and Spine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The current study analysed whether the osteogenic stimuli of exercises and sports have an independent effect on bone mineral density (BMD). Studies with a design having two different cohorts were searched and selected to distinguish the effect due to long-term involvement (i.e., athletes vs. non-active young with good bone health) and due to the planning of intervention (i.e., pre- vs. post-training) with exercises and sports. Moreover, only studies investigating the bone sites with a body-weight support function (i.e., lower limb, hip, and spine regions) were reviewed, since the osteogenic effects have incongruous results. A meta-analysis was performed following the recommendations of PRISMA. Heterogeneity (I2) was determined by combining Cochran's Q test with the Higgins test, with a significance level of α = 0.05. The studies reporting the effect of involvement in exercise and sports showed high heterogeneity for the lower limb, total hip, and spine (I2 = 90.200%, 93.334%, and 95.168%, respectively, with p < 0.01) and the effect size on sports modalities (Hedge's g = 1.529, 1.652, and 0.417, respectively, with p < 0.05) ranging from moderate to high. In turn, the studies reporting the effect of the intervention planning showed that there was no heterogeneity for the lower limb (I2 = 0.000%, p = 0.999) and spine (I2 = 77.863%, p = 0.000); however, for the hip, it was moderate (I2 = 49.432%, p = 0.054), with a low effect between the pre- and post-training moments presented only for the hip and spine (Hedge's g = 0.313 and 0.353, respectively, with p < 0.05). The current analysis supported the effect of involvement in exercise and sports by evidencing the effect of either weight-bearing or non-weight-bearing movements on BMD at the femoral, pelvic, and lumbar bones sites of the athletes when comparing to non-athletes or non-active peers with healthy bones. Moreover, the effect of different exercise and sports interventions highlighted the alterations in the BMD in the spine bone sites, mainly with long-term protocols (~12 months) planned with a stimulus with high muscle tension. Therefore, exercise and sport (mainly systematic long-term practice) have the potential to increase the BMD of bones with body-weight support beyond the healthy values reached during life phases of youth and adulthood.

Latin American Participation in the Olympics

In Olympismo: The Olympic Movement in the Making of Latin America and the Caribbean (2020), editors Sotomayor and Torres suggest that studying the Olympic Movement in Latin America is a way to explore the creation of their societies. but there are few publications examining how Latin American scholars consider their Olympic experience. Reviewing the growth of Olympic sports in Colombia provides a good test of this thesis. This study traces the development of Colombia’s involvement in sport from 1930 to 2022. We see that by competing in national and other western-hemisphere events, Colombian athletes have improved their performances; that the national government, supported by programs offered by the United Nations and the US Peace Corps, has encouraged sport development in education; that grassroots activities, such as boxing and cycling, have produced world-class athletes; and that women and Afro-Colombians have become celebrated competitors. From the vantage point of 2023, there is evidence that the desire to win Olympic medals has inspired positive social change and elevated and diversified athletic participation in Colombia.

Exploring the Psychological Benefits of Team Sports in Physical Education Programs Eleanore Mitsu S. Delito

This study delves into the substantial psychological advantages that stem from active participation in team sports within physical education programs. Drawing upon data from 80 student participants, our quantitative investigation illuminates the transformative impact of team sports across a spectrum of dimensions. Most notably, involvement in team sports is associated with a noteworthy amplification of self-esteem, underscoring its role in fortifying individual self-assurance and self-value. Furthermore, team sports notably elevate social interaction and cultivate profound relationships, effectively mitigating sentiments of isolation. Impressively, participants report reduced stress levels and a comprehensive enhancement in psychological well-being, highlighting the stress-reduction dividends of team sports. The cultivation of crucial life skills such as leadership and adaptability further accentuates the holistic personal growth nurtured through team sports. In addition, our findings hint at potential academic and cognitive advantages, with participants exhibiting augmented cognitive faculties and heightened concentration. This study underscores the fundamental contribution of team sports in fostering holistic student development within educational settings, delivering invaluable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers alike

Fictional girls who play to play: pushing on narratives of competition in young adult sports literature

ABSTRACT Traditional narratives of sport posit winning as the defining goal in ways that can feel and be exclusionary to young people and result in a lack of enjoyment and subsequent decision to avoid or discontinue involvement in sport. This is particularly true for girls and young women who participate in sport at lower rates and quit at higher rates than boys and young men. Shifting the focus of sport away from winning can open space for a wider range of girls and young women to see themselves as athletes. Scholars have highlighted how story in the form of counter-narratives can play a role in changing readers’ perspectives. However, no attention has been paid to fictional representations of athletes engaging in non-competitive sport and how these depictions might invite girls and young women to imagine themselves differently in sporting spaces. This paper employs thematic inductive analysis to examine three, girl-centric young adult sports novels that work as counter-narratives to examine what happens when winning is not the central goal of participation in sport. Specifically, it explores what fictional young women athletes gain through their participation in non-competitive sport and what young adult readers might gain in their engagement with these titles. Findings reveal how participation in non-competitive sport gives the fictional athletes a sense of full personhood, confidence and pride in what their bodies can do, and connection with something larger than themselves. These titles can show readers that their engagement in sport is desirable, that non-competitive sport is beneficial to them, and that their engagement in sport is possible, that non-competitive sport is for them. The paper suggests that stories of non-competitive sport have the potential to open equitable access by inviting more young people, particularly those who have not seen themselves in stories of sport, to engage as athletes.

The Effect of High School Students’ Doing Sports on Self-Confidence (Sample of Kilis Province)

Aim: The aim of this research is to examine whether the sports status of high school students has any effect on their self-confidence and to examine them in terms of different variables.&#x0D; Material &amp; Method: The population of the research consists of students studying in high schools located in Kilis. The sample of the study consists of 415 students, 210 male and 205 female, randomly selected from high schools in Kilis. A personal information form developed by the researchers was used to collect information about the independent variables. The “Self-Confidence Scale”, developed by Akın (2007) as a data collection tool to measure students’ self-confidence levels, was used to determine the existing self-confidence levels of individuals. While evaluating the study data, descriptive statistical methods were used. Independent sample T-Test and ANOVA Test were used in the analysis of the data. In the analyzes used, the level of significance was determined as p&lt;0.05.&#x0D; Results: In the obtained findings, no statistical significance was found in terms of the variable of students’ gender and active sports year. Statistically significant was observed in terms of grade variable, active sports involvement variable and sports type.&#x0D; Conclusion: It was concluded that high school students who do sports are more self-confident than those who do not. It was concluded that as the grade level of the student increased, the self-confidence also increased. It has been concluded that students who do team sports are more self-confident than those who do individual sports.

“Rec Sports Was So Good for Me”: How College Graduates Developed Marketable Skills as Recreational Sports Student Employees

Although involvement in recreational sports has been found to be beneficial for college students, sparse research has explored how recreational sports student employment has benefitted college graduates who are now active in the professional workforce. Filling this critical gap, this study explored how former recreational sports student employees ( n = 10) developed marketable skills and increased their career readiness and professional capabilities. Findings suggest graduates did develop marketable skills that they regularly use as professionals, including interpersonal communication, teamwork and leadership, organization, and cross-cultural competency. Implications for research and recreational sports administration are addressed.

Selected Motivations of Student Sports Volunteers in Terms of Professional Activity and Previous Volunteering Experience

Involvement in sports volunteering is not only a way to improve mental health by increasing a sense of appreciation or respect, but it also allows participants to take on an individual challenge, meet new people, or gain specific knowledge. The aim of this study was to analyze selected motivations of students from the University of Physical Education in Krakow to get involved in sports volunteering during the 2023 European Games organized in their city and verifying them in terms of gender, age, previous volunteering experience, and pursuing a career. A total of 535 students took part in the survey, of whom 52.71% (282) were female, and 47.29% (253) were male. Selected motivation statements were indicated by respondents through a 5-point Likert scale. The results of the completed study confirmed that pursuing a professional career alongside studies and previous experience in sports volunteering had an impact on undertaking sports volunteering (F = 11.754; r = 0.674; p = 0.003 and F = 10.241; r = 0.611; p = 0.002). The obtained research results may be important for sports psychologists and organizers of sports events in the context of recruiting volunteers or improving the process of managing sports volunteering.

Positive youth development through sport and physical education: a systematic review of empirical research conducted with grade 5 to 12 children and youth

ABSTRACT Background Over the two last decades, the interest in personal and psychosocial youth development has been growing due to its engagement in sport activities. Furthermore, participation in sport has been referenced as a favourable mechanism and context for positive youth development (PYD). However, some studies and researchers continue to question the linearity of this association. Considering the place and importance of the practice of sports in and out of school in young people’s lives, it is necessary to systematically gather empirical evidence about the relationship between sports involvement and the development of children and young people attending school. This knowledge is important not only for teachers, coaches and professionals who work at schools, clubs and associations, but also for policymakers. Objective to study the relationship between the practice of sport and the positive development of children and young people attending school. This purpose was guided by the following research question: What is the relation between the practice of sports and positive development of grade 5 to 12 children and youth attending school? Method Conduct a systematic search in EBSCO, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Search for relevant studies with a quantitative, qualitative and mixed design that met previously established eligibility criteria. Quality was assessed and data were extracted from a previously elaborated template. Results The systematic review followed the PRISMA protocol and included 30 studies with quantitative (n = 14), qualitative (n = 12) and mixed (n = 4) designs. A wide variety of sports and two fundamental settings – physical education (PE) and extracurricular activities – in and out of school – were found, most of them framed in structured activities or intervention programmes. Results suggest that the practice of sports, especially when combining different sports and contexts, or including non-sport activities, seems to favour psychosocial development and the transfer of competences and values to other areas of life, ‘outside’ sports. This evidence appears to depend on several individual and contextual factors, such as psychological and physical security, presence and action of adults and mentors, positive social interactions, having a voice and participation in decision-making, leadership roles, opportunities for skills built in a meaningful activity and deliberately structured activities, but also on the interaction between individual and contextual factors. Conclusions The results suggest the importance of sports practice as a mechanism and a favourable context for the developmental outcomes of children and young people attending school. That relationship, however, seems contingent. Developmental outcomes might be related to multiple individual and contextual factors and to the interaction among them. Different activities afford different opportunities for children and young people to engage in adaptive relations with their ecology and positive development. The combination of different types of sports, in or out of school, especially when combined with non-sport activities, seems to bring greater benefits. Several factors were referenced as beneficial to PYD promotion in sport programmes, in and out of school.