Youth Sport Participation Research Articles

Sparking entrepreneurial tendencies in youth: Lessons from sport and life skills education in three African cities


 
 
 This practice-based article describes a program that aims to instil an interest in entrepreneurship among African youth by helping them make a connection between the skills they have developed through their participation in sport and the skills required of successful entrepreneurs. The program was developed in partnership between scholars at four universities (University of Botswana, University of Dar es Salaam, University of Ghana and Michigan State University), as well as schools at other community organisations in three African cities: Gaborone, Botswana; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Accra, Ghana. The program, which seeks to contribute to the well-established need for job creation in sub- Saharan Africa, integrated basic entrepreneurship and life-skills training activities into a sports camp for youth athletes. The program appears to have developed entrepreneurial tendencies among youth sport participants in these African cities, suggesting that job creation efforts could benefit from targeting youth sport participants and helping them to recognise the important skills they have developed through their participation in sport, and helping them to identify ways in which that skill development could positively impact their futures.
 
 

Academic Stress of College Students and Sports Participation: Mediating Role of Social Intelligence

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between academic stress, sports participation, and social intelligence among college students in the Multan Division of Pakistan. A stratified random sampling strategy was employed to select a sample of 663 participants from the Government Degree Colleges. Standardized tools, including the Student's Academic Stress Inventory and Social Intelligence Questionnaire, were used to assess academic stress and social intelligence. Participants self-reported their previous youth sports participation. A cross-sectional survey approach was used to collect quantitative data. The results indicated that college students reported high levels of academic stress. College athletes reported significant social intelligence competency, and there was a significant positive relationship between academic stress and the social intelligence competency of college students. Additionally, there was a significant positive relationship between sports participation and social intelligence, suggesting that participation in sports has paramount significance in the development of social intelligence competency among its participants. Social intelligence was found to significantly mediate the relationship between academic stress and sports participation of college students. Furthermore, the data revealed that male athletes reported higher stress levels on various dimensions of academic stress, highlighting the need for counseling centers to provide extra attention and care to athletes and promote mental health awareness. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between academic stress, sports participation, and social intelligence among college students, shedding light on the mediating role of social intelligence in mitigating academic stress and improving mental health outcomes. The findings have important implications for educational institutions and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of promoting sports participation and social intelligence development to support students' overall well-being.

Youth Sport Spectating among Parents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes to family life and youth sports activities around the globe. In efforts to promote continuity and youth participation in sports, and in lieu of risks for spreading the virus at competitions and games, the youth sport environment adapted to meet emerging health and safety protocols. The cancellation of youth sports and shifts to virtual spectating (i.e., watching children play sports online) were often enacted to protect families, yet little is known about how these changes physically, socially, and psychologically impacted parents and the family system. In response, we conducted a mixed-methods study to explore the lived experiences of parents of youth sport participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. This novel and exploratory research discovered several shifts in the physical environment of youth sport, including challenges with technology and limitations in the number of spectators at youth sporting events. Findings also revealed an array of psychosocial experiences among parents including feelings of grief, frustration, and sadness due to restrictions and sport cancellations, as well as fewer child-parent interactions and a diminished connection to sport in response to virtual spectating. We developed a conceptual model of how shifts in the youth sport environment influenced parent spectators. Our findings have important implications for practice and inform future areas of research regarding youth sports and the family system. Keywords: parent spectators; youth sports; COVID-19 pandemic; family systems

Youth Sport Influences and the American Development Model: An Analysis

Youth sport offers physical, mental, and social health benefits with numerous sport and recreational enterprises and venues offering respective programming of multiple sports. Participation rates of youth in sport and recreational activities, however, are declining. In addition, the age most noted to drop out of youth sport is approximately age 13. Numerous influencers impact participation and retention in youth sport. The current report examines factors impacting youth sport participation, motivation, and retention. The report also showcases seven sport governing body initiatives to strengthen youth involvement in their respective sport and could potentially offer insight to other sporting and recreational activities. The report concludes with several implications for all stakeholders who represent and support youth sport and recreational industries respective to participation, commitment, and loyalty. Future research opportunities are also outlined.

Factors Influencing Youth Sports Participation in Different Districts of Balochistan, A Province of Pakistan

This study was conducted to evaluate the factors influencing youth sports participation in different districts of Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. The current study was carried out in male and female degree colleges from six (06) randomly chosen Balochistan districts. In all, 824 students—512 men and 312 women representing 10% of the student body at 18 men's colleges and 14 women's institutions participated in the study. The researcher created and employed a structured five-point Likert scale questionnaire, with responses ranging from Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Neutral (N), and Disagree (DA), to Strongly Disagree (SDA). The significant level for the p-value that the researcher used to accept or reject the given hypotheses was 0.05. The study's findings showed that youth sports involvement in various districts of Balochistan is influenced by a number of factors, including parental financial resources, a lack of access to sports equipment due to high marketing costs.

Training, Wellbeing and Recovery Load Monitoring in Female Youth Athletes.

Participation in youth sports is ever-increasing, along with training and competition demands placed upon youth athletes. Young athletes may experience high training loads due to playing several sports, as well as participating in school physical education. Therefore, monitoring youth athlete load is an emerging area of research that may help limit non-functional overreaching, injury, or illness and assist with long-term athlete development. This narrative review highlights that multiple measures have been explored to monitor both internal and external load. However, the validity, reliability and practicality of these measures are often not fully understood in female youth populations. The most commonly used external monitoring methods are GPS tracking and TRIMP whereas common internal monitoring tools are questionnaires, perceived exertion rating and heart rate measures. The reporting of injuries and menstrual cycles is also crucial for providing completeness when monitoring an athlete. It has been suggested that the combination of training load, recovery and wellbeing monitoring variables is the optimal way to monitor an athlete’s fatigue levels. Whichever monitoring method is applied, in a youth population it is important that the protocol can be individualised, is inexpensive and can be easily implemented and reported so that the monitoring is sustainable.

Factors influencing commitment to maintaining long-term exercise in adults over the age of 50

This study explores the experiences of older adults pursuing an exercise routine for at least a decade to gain understanding of factors influencing serious commitment to long-term exercise. In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 participants (5 women and 21 men, aged 50–78 years). Results identified two types of older exercisers: lifelong maintainers and restarters. Lifelong maintainers showed five themes: practice systematically a core sport, strong history of formal sport participation in youth, maintained involvement despite life transitions and barriers, motivated by optimizing sport skills in a core sport, and personal growth. Restarters had five themes: practice various fitness/sport activities, history of high participation in informal sport in youth, restarted regular exercise after a break owing to life challenges, motivated by fears about health deterioration, and improving wellbeing. Results provide critical knowledge to inform fitness and health practitioners seeking to increase adherence to exercise in older adults.

Youth Sport Participation By Metropolitan Status: 2018-2019 National Survey Of Children’s Health (NSCH)

Youth sport participation in rural populations is understudied, including minimal information being available on how participation rates vary by urbanicity. This information is crucial for identifying demographic groups within different levels of urbanicity that may need additional support to increase sport participation. PURPOSE: To examine the association between metropolitan statistical area (MSA) status and sport participation among American youth ages 6-17. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2018-2019 National Survey of Children’s Health. Weighted prevalence statistics were computed for sport participation by MSA status (living in an MSA, yes/no), overall and by child sex and age. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR) for non-MSA versus MSA youth, before and after adjusting for special health care needs, race/ethnicity, income, and parent education. RESULTS: The final sample included 30,029 children [11.6 years (SD = 0.4), 51.4% female, 49.0% White). About 56% participated in sport in the past year. Sport participation prevalence was lower outside of (versus within) MSAs [53.6% (95% CI: 51.1%-56.0%) versus 56.0% (95% CI: 54.7%-57.3%)]. Among youth ages 6-11, those in non-MSAs (versus MSAs) were less likely to participate in sport [IRR 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86-0.99)], which was non-significant after adjustment. In adjusted models, youth ages 12-17 in non-MSAs (versus in MSAs) were more likely to participate in sport [aIRR 1.07 (95% CI: 1.00-1.15)]. This association was stronger for older males [aIRR 1.12 (95% CI: 1.02-1.23)]. CONCLUSIONS: There was a negative association between living in a non-MSA and sport participation. However, in adjusted models, non-MSA youth were more likely to participate. The relationship between MSA status and sport participation may be largely driven by factors (e.g., household income) that affect children’s ability to participate in sport. Efforts promoting youth sport should focus on reducing cost-related barriers to increase participation regardless of household income.

Effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulation Treatment in the Rehabilitation of Post-External Immobilization for a Supracondylar Fracture of the Distal Humerus: A Case Report

Abstract Pediatric bone fractures are a common occurrence, particularly among youth sports participants. Supracondylar humeral fractures are the most common pediatric elbow fracture, accounting for approximately 60% of all pediatric elbow fractures for children less than 10 years of age. For nondisplaced supracondylar humeral fractures, the standard of care is to immobilize the affected arm with an above the elbow-long cast for 3 weeks. Following cast removal, the recommendations for rehabilitation are conflicting, between doing some physical therapy as part of recovery or no therapy and letting the arm heal on its own for upwards of 12 weeks. The purpose of this case report was to observe if the addition of osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) could improve the somatic dysfunctions associated with post-immobilization elbow stiffness and reduce the amount of recovery time. Various OMT techniques were utilized over a span of 8 sessions across 4 weeks. The use of OMT provided relief of stiffness and return to full range of motion of the affected upper extremity joints. The incorporation of OMT as a part of a recovery regimen could be considered for future utilization, research, and evaluation.

Gender Differences In Sport And Physical Activity Participation In Children With Type 1 Diabetes

It is important for children, youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to meet physical activity (PA) recommendations. Research focusing on sport participation and other forms of PA that are formally organized or not formally organized is limited, especially considering there may be gender differences in sport and PA participation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify gender differences in sport participation in children, youth and young adults with T1D. We further sought to explore the types of sports and PA that they engaged in and were most important to them, and whether these activities were formally organized. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 194 patients with T1D [14.27 years ±3.63; 96 (50.5%) female] who completed a PA and sport participation survey during their regularly scheduled pediatric endocrinology appointment. Survey data assessing number of sports played within the past year, the sport or PA that they participated in most and/or was the most important to them, and whether that sport or PA was organized by a school or community league were linked to their medical records for gender and age. RESULTS: Spearman’s rank order correlation tests indicated that there was not a statistically significant relationship between gender (females, n = 51, 53.1%; males, n = 59, 60.2%) and sport participation of at least one sport in the previous year, r(192) = .06, p = .407. For females, 8 (8.0%) participated in 3 or more sports while 15 (15.3%) of males participated in 3 or more sports. The most frequently reported sports or PA differed for genders. Walking was reported as most participated in and/or most important sport or PA for females (n = 11; opposed to 2 males) with 10 reported as not organized. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was no significant relationship between gender and sport participation, a strength of this study highlighted that the types of sports and PA that females and males participated in differed in organizational status. Practical implications of this study underscore the importance of understanding the types of sports and PA that children, youth and young adults with T1D participate in so that interventions can be tailored to support their preferences. Organized walking clubs or interventions may benefit female participants in the accruing of PA and management of T1D.

Is psychological resilience associated with changes in youth sport participants’ health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Objectives: This study investigated the quality of life of youth sport participants over the COVID-19 pandemic as moderated by psychological resilience. Methods: Participants included 93 high school sport participants (53.76% female, mean age = 15.59 ± 0.74) in a three-year longitudinal cohort study (SHRed Concussions) who completed the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Pediatric Quality of Life Scale (PedsQL), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at Year 1 (pre-pandemic, 2019–2020) and Year 2 (pandemic, 2020–2021). Change in quality of life and mental health symptoms from Year 1 to Year 2 was examined using paired t-tests and Year 1 resilience was examined as a predictor of Year 2 quality of life and mental health symptoms using linear regression. Results: Among participants with Year 1 scores before the pandemic onset, mean PedsQL (n = 74, t = −0.26 [−2.63, 2.03], p = 0.80) and SDQ (n = 74, t = 0.030 [−0.90, 0.93], p = 0.98) scores did not significantly change between Year 1 and Year 2. In unadjusted analyses, Year 1 CD-RISC scores were positively associated with predicted Year 2 PedsQL scores when Year 1 scores were controlled (β = 0.31 [0.0062, 0.61], ΔR 2 = 0.02) but not with residual change in SDQ scores (β = 0.035 [−0.11, 0.18], ΔR 2 = 0.001). Conclusions: Quality of life did not change significantly after the pandemic onset, and resilience was modestly protective.

Organized Youth Sports Trajectories and Adult Health Outcomes: The Young Finns Study

This study identified the trajectories of organized youth sports over 9 years in youths aged 9-18 years and examined whether the trajectories predicted physical activity, sedentary behavior, and obesity in midlife. Self-reported organized youth sports trajectories were identified for participants between 1980 and 1989 (N=3,474). Accelerometer-derived physical activity was quantified for participants (n=1,349) in 2018-2020. Sociodemographic, physical activity, and TV viewing data were collected through questionnaires either at baselines or follow-up. Adult BMI was calculated to clarify obesity. Associations of organized youth sports trajectories with adult physical activity, sedentary behavior, and obesity were evaluated using mixture models, which were stratified by sex and conducted in 2022. Three organized youth sports trajectories were identified for boys and girls (sustained high-sports participation, 12.0%/7.5%; sustained moderate-sports participation, 14.0%/13.3%; and low-sports/nonparticipation, 74.0%/79.2%). Boys sustaining both moderate- and high-sports participation had higher levels of adult self-reported physical activity (β=0.59, p=0.007; β=0.69, p<0.001) than low-sports/nonparticipating boys. Girls sustaining both moderate- and high-sports participation accumulated more total physical activity (β=113.4, p=0.009; β=144.3, p=0.002), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (β=7.86, p=0.016; β=14.01, p<0.001), step counts (β=1,020, p=0.003; β=1,045, p=0.005), and self-reported physical activity (β=0.79, p<0001; β=0.63, p=0.003) in midlife than their low-sports/nonparticipating counterparts. Girls sustaining moderate-sports participation accumulated more light-intensity physical activity (β=19.79, p=0.012) and less sedentary time (β= -27.65, p=0.002), and those sustaining high-sports participation had lower obesity prevalence (OR=0.41, p=0.009) 40 years later than low-sports/nonparticipating girls. Sustained participation in organized youth sports is independently predictive of physical activity patterns, sedentary time, and obesity in midlife, especially in girls, thus contributing to the development of a healthy and active lifestyle across the life course.

“What Do We Do For Snacks?”: The Perceived Role of Parks and Recreation Administrators in the Youth Sports Food Environment

Dietary intake is influenced by multiple systems, as highlighted in the Social- Ecological Model, including community influences like community programs. In this context, parks and recreation administrators may have a role in the types of snacks and beverages provided during youth sports. The current study focused on understanding park administrators’ experiences relative to the youth sports environment, including their responsibility and influence on the food environment. This was an exploratory qualitative case study conducted in Utah. Semi-structured interviews with parks and recreation administrators were completed via phone by a research assistant. A qualitative case study analysis was conducted by two researchers. In addition to the interviews, the websites of all the park and recreation sites were searched and phone calls were made to check physical locations for nutrition fliers/information. Three themes emerged through qualitative case study analysis. The first theme was the administrators’ role in the youth parks and recreation activities. The second theme was the administrators’ awareness of the food environment within youth sports. The final theme was the administrators’ role in influencing more nutritious snacks at these youth sporting activities. The results from this case study suggest that the parks and recreation administrators within Utah valued the importance of nutritional snacks and beverages within youth sporting activities and were supportive of the food environment improving. Several of the parks and recreation administrators in this study agreed that their further involvement (i.e., guidelines on snacks and beverages) in the youth sports food environment could improve the environment and better effect youth who are participating, thus enhancing opportunities to improve overall health and well-being. The results from this study show that administrators could bring awareness to youth sports nutrition and support guidelines for the types of snacks and beverages brought to youth sporting activities. Administrators could work with dietitians to develop information that would be appropriate to distribute to youth sports participants and parents. Providing information about what kinds of snacks to bring has the possibility to improve the conditions of the youth sports food environment. Additionally, consideration for policy changes in youth sports and recreation center facilities could be explored.

Considering the cost(s) of the game: Consumer behavior and parents in youth ice hockey

Negative sport parent behavior continues to impede athletes, coaches, and program administrators from enjoying positive experiences within a variety of youth sport environments. In conjunction with this issue, the growing financial cost required to support youth sport participation has been identified as a source of stress for parents as well as a barrier preventing athletes from fully enjoying all that youth sports programming has to offer. As such, the purpose of the current study was to explore how sport parent perceptions and behaviors may be understood when examined through the conceptual lens of a framework originating within the consumer behavior literature. Using an established model of consumer decision-making to structure the project’s interview guide, 15 semi-structured interviews with Canadian ice hockey parents (seven “moms” and eight “dads”) were completed. Interview questions were constructed in hopes of exploring participants’ experiences as consumers of their children’s ice hockey programming. Following interview transcriptions, the completion of a thematic analysis suggested that ice hockey parents were influenced by a variety of external pressures to continue funding their children’s participation rather than their personal perceptions and assessments of program quality. As such, parents were observed to undertake a unique process of consumption—one wherein their purchasing behavior was best understood through the influences of their cultural world and social groups as well as their children’s potential attainment of non-sport-related outcomes (i.e., life skills, friendships) rather than their satisfaction with the youth ice hockey programming that they were a part of itself. Lay summary: Fifteen parents with children enrolled in youth ice hockey programming were interviewed regarding aspects of their behaviors as program consumers. Parents disclosed that, although ice hockey provided their families with a variety of benefits, they were (a) dissatisfied with the programming quality itself and (b) felt program improvements were unlikely. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Accounting for parental stress and frustration around their youth sports program purchases (i.e., satisfaction with their purchases) should be considered when creating strategies to combat negative parental behaviors. It may be useful for youth sports programs to implement more rigorous mechanisms for receiving and addressing feedback from parents. Adopting strategies from the consumer behavior literature (e.g., brand loyalty; consumer satisfaction) may be helpful to aid youth sport programmers to improve relationships with youth sport parents in the future.

Coach-athlete relationship, team cohesion and motivation in Brazilian youth athletes: a cluster analysis

Purpose.This study investigated whether coach-athlete relationship development through sport was influenced by demographic factors, team cohesion, and motivation variables in Brazilian youth sport participants.Methods.The research involved 301 young athletes (136 boys and 165 girls) participating in the final phase of the School Games. They were aged 14–17 years (mean: 16.03 ± 0.83 years). The survey used assessed demographic variables, the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire, the Sport Motivation Scale, and the Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire. The data were investigated with a cluster analysis, chi-squared test, and multivariate analysis of variance (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05).Results.The study revealed more female participants in the high coach relationship cluster (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.010), as well as a stronger association of futsal and handball with high coach-athlete relationship quality, and of basketball with low coach-athlete relationship quality (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.002). When compared with the low coach relationship cluster, youth sport participants in the high coach relationship cluster presented higher scores for social cohesion (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.001), task cohesion (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.001), and autonomous motivation regulations (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;: 0.003–0.001).Conclusions.Such findings suggest that coaches should seek to encourage group cohesion for both task and social cohesion, thus motivating athletes to meet the demands of the sporting context.

Write It Out: Examining Recreational Youth Sport Parent Emotions Through an Expressive Writing Exercise

Youth sport parents experience an array of emotions as part of their child’s youth sport experience. This may include emotions related to watching their child play, supporting their child’s emotions, or simply related to daily parenting responsibilities. This research examined youth sport parent emotions through an expressive writing exercise. Twelve parents completed a total of 32 expressive writing exercises. In each exercise, parents were asked to write about their emotions as a youth sport parent. Quantitative analysis with Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC; Pennebaker et al., 2015) software and qualitative thematic analysis were employed to analyze writings. Results indicate that though parents experienced both positive and negative emotions, negative emotions were most common and salient. Thematic analysis resulted in six themes, including one theme related to positive emotions (happiness for child experience), and five themes related to negative emotions: 1) general stress and negativity, 2) responsibilities, 3) role as parent, 4) coach, and 5) performance. Results also lead to practical implications for park and recreation administrators. First, as substantial stress is related to the time and financial responsibilities associated with sport parenting, organizations may wish to seek ways to support parents including through scholarship funds, and facilitating communication and duty sharing among parents. Parent education programs may also be a way to help parents navigate their own emotions related to parenting roles. Coaches were also a source of negative emotions for parents, though not always for the same reasons. Youth sport organizations can facilitate coach-parent communication to ensure that parent-coach goals are aligned, and provide training for coaches in both sport-specific skills and positive youth development. In addition to facilitating coach-parent communication, organizations may also encourage child-parent communication related to goals. This could include email communications with exercises designed to encourage specific conversations about goals of youth sport participation. Each of these implications is tied directly to negative emotions expressed by parents as part of this research. Assisting parents with these emotions will improve the experience for both the parent and will likely enable the youth participant to have a more positive experience as well.

Youth Sport Participation by Metropolitan Status: 2018–2019 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH)

ABSTRACTPurpose: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2018–2019 National Survey of Children’s Health to examine the association between metropolitan statistical area (MSA) status and sports participation among American youth ages 6–17. Methods: Weighted prevalence statistics were computed for sports participation by MSA status (non-MSA, MSA), overall and by child sex and age. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) for non-MSA versus MSA youth, before and after adjusting for special health-care needs, race/ethnicity, household income, parent education, and family structure. Results: The final sample included 30,029 youth [Mage = 11.6 years (SD = 0.4), 51.4% female, 49.0% White]. About 56% participated in sports in the past year. Sports participation was significantly higher among females versus males [59.1% (95% CI: 57.4%–60.7%) versus 52.1% (95% CI: 50.4%–53.8%), p < .001]. Among ages 6–11, those in non-MSAs (versus MSAs) were less likely to participate in sports [PR 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86–0.99), p = .033], which was non-significant after adjustment. In adjusted models, youth ages 12–17 in non-MSAs (versus in MSAs) were more likely to participate in sports overall [aPR 1.07 (95% CI: 1.00–1.15), p = .042] and among males [aPR 1.12 (95% CI: 1.01–1.23), p = .026]. Conclusion: The relationship between MSA status and sports participation may be largely driven by factors that affect youth’s ability to participate in sports. Sports participation was higher among females versus males overall. In the models adjusted for demographics, non-MSA youth ages 12–17 were more likely to participate, particularly males. Efforts promoting youth sports should consider differences in socio-demographic factors between MSA versus non-MSA areas to help increase participation.

Parent decision-making regarding youth sport participation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PurposeTo describe youth sport participation behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported by parents of youth sport athletes, to examine the association of family demographics with the likelihood of children resuming sports, and to qualitatively report the factors influencing parental decision-making regarding youth sport participation during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA national sample of parents of youth athletes from across the United States (n=236, age: 39.2±8.1 years, 57.2% female) were recruited to complete an online questionnaire by Qualtrics Online Samples (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) using a combination of actively managed, double-opt-in market research panels. The questionnaire focused on changes in child sport participation and family finances as a result of COVID-19 and included both close-ended and open-ended questions.ResultsMost parents (63.1%) reported the time their children spent participating in organized youth sports had decreased because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three-quarters of parents (75.5%) reported that it was likely that their children would fully resume participating in organized youth sports within the next year. Parents whose financial situation was worsened by COVID-19 were less likely to report that their children would resume sports in the upcoming year. Three domains related to parental decision-making emerged from the open-ended responses: safety, fear, and normalcy.ConclusionsUnderstanding the factors influencing changes in youth sport participation during the pandemic can allow systems to implement strategies for safe participation in youth sport and physical activity among children. Encouraging participation in outdoor sports with appropriate safety precautions such as masking, social distancing, and hygiene may reduce fear of participation among parents.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10900-022-01078-4.

Quantifying the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Youth Sports-Related Injuries

Background:The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on youth sports participation for children and adolescents in the United States. Prior work demonstrated that pandemic-related closures led to a significant reduction in pediatric sports-related injury in the first half of 2020. However, these trends have yet to be evaluated on a national level and during the latter half of the year when organized youth sports began to re-emerge.Purpose:To estimate monthly and annual trends in youth sports-related injury over the last 5 years using a national injury database in order to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall and sport-specific rates of injury.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database identifying children and adolescents (0-18yo) presenting to US emergency departments with sport participation product codes (Table 1). Cases associated with >1 product code were excluded. The monthly and annual frequency of sports-related injuries was estimated. Quasi-experimental interrupted time series analysis was performed using the period of March-December 2020 as a binary variable. Differences in total and sport-specific injury estimates were calculated with pre-and post-trend analysis of the interrupted time series.Results:Our study criteria identified 152,560 youth sports-related injury cases corresponding to a national estimate of 4,582,892 injuries from 2016-2020 (95% CI=4,420,534-4,745,250). The mean yearly estimate from 2016-2019 was 1,041,944 injuries [890,047-1,193,841]. An estimated 415,115 injuries [357,779-480,594] occurred in 2020. Seasonal peaks in September and May were identified. There was a statistically significant decrease in national youth sports-related injuries that coincided with the nationwide COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020 (56,945 [33,143-80,747] fewer monthly injuries (P < 0.0001)). From March-December 2020, an estimated 457,221 [388,450-525,992] fewer sports-related injuries occurred than would have been expected based on prior trends. Sport-specific analyses (Table 1) demonstrated the greatest reduction of estimated injuries from March-December 2020 occurred in basketball (137,772 fewer injuries [130,192-145,246]), football (123,345 fewer injuries [86,883-159,807]), and soccer (70,383 fewer injuries [65,849-74,919]). Estimates of injuries associated with wrestling, ice hockey, and cheerleading had the greatest proportional reduction during the March-December time period (99%, 93%, and 79% respectively.)Conclusion:There was a significant reduction in youth sports-related injuries in 2020 coinciding with the nationwide COVID-19 shutdowns in March 2020 and persisting throughout the remainder of the year. Reduced injury burden was most notable for contact sports including basketball, football, and soccer.Table 1.Annulaized National Estimates of Pediatric Sports Injuries by Sport and Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic, in ThousandsFigure 1.National Estimates of Pediatric Sports Injury by Month by Year ± 95% Confidence Interval

An Examination of the Latent Structure and Reproducibility of the Life Skills Scale for Sport in Botswana and Ghana.

With the growing interest in sport-based positive youth development (PYD) programs across the African continent, there is a need to establish suitable measures to evaluate the success of these programs in fostering PYD. The Life Skills Scale for Sport (LSSS) was recently developed as a sport-specific measure of life skills development. Despite its good psychometric properties among British youth sport participants, cross-cultural evidence indicates differences in the conceptualization of the eight factors measured by the LSSS. To determine the suitability of the LSSS for use in the African youth sport context, this study examined the latent structure and reproducibility of scores produced by the scale in a sample of youth sport participants from Botswana and Ghana. Cross-sectional data from a sample of 495 youth athletes (male = 51.72%), aged 12–21 years (M = 16.76, SD = 1.58), from junior and senior secondary schools was used in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling were conducted, and conventional fit indices were used to assess model fit. Results on the original LSSS model indicated the need for model re-specification in the current sample. A re-specified LSSS, consisting of the original eight factors, but only 34 of the original 43 items, demonstrated improved fit and adequate internal consistency. Scores derived from the re-specified LSSS proved to be a valid estimate of life skills development in the current sample of youth sport participants. This has important implications for the utility of the LSSS in different cultures.