Game Changers: Harnessing Sports to Enhance the Capabilities of Children

Description

Background: Children and young people categorised as Not in Education Employment and Training is a prevalent issue in the UK, with an increase in the number of children and young people aged between 16 to 24 years who are NEET from 770,000 to 794,000 in April to June 2023 (Office for National Statistics, 2023).

Objective: Utilising a capabilities approach (Sen, 1989; 1992) framework, the paper examines the efficacy of the case-study sports programme, in empowering disadvantaged youth and broaden their opportunities.

Participants and Setting: The foundation that forms the case-study for the research deliver sports-based programmes in England that use the values of sport to inspire, support and educate children and young people. It offers sports-based programmes for schools by working with children and young people who are disengaged from mainstream education and/or at risk of disengagement, the foundation seeks to assist children and young people in re-engaging in education by promoting confidence, resilience, wellbeing and modelling pro-social behaviours.

Methods and Analysis: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were adopted to allow children, young people, staff and volunteers to share their experiences with the foundation’s programmes. This paper presents qualitative data collated from interviews with staff and volunteers (n=9) and children and young people (n=2), with a further (n=3) focus groups conducted with 12 young people. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected, leading to three emergent themes: support for confidence and self-efficacy in children and young people; role of sports-based values on improving outcomes; and development of pro-social relationships.
Results: The findings show that sport-based programmes have the potential to increase children and young people’s confidence, help pursue their educational aspirations, as well as build friendships and connect with other young people.

Conclusions: The capability approach offers a comprehensive framework for designing, implementing, and evaluating sports-based programmes for children and young people at risk of NEET, with this research recommending that sports-based programmes focus on the holistic development of individuals, promote social justice, and contribute to human flourishing. By embracing this approach, sport-based programmes can maximise their positive impact on participants and communities, fostering a culture of empowerment, inclusion, and well-being.

Period	10 Jul 2024
Event title	Children and Childhood 2024
Event type	Conference
Degree of Recognition	National