Towards understanding the potential of sports-based practices for socially vulnerable youth

Many literatures can be found reporting on the association of organized youth sports with a range of positive health-related, educational and social outcomes. Specifically in relation to socially vulnerable youth, sports are viewed as an opportunity to engage young people in a leisure context, not only in terms of participation in sport activities but also across a range of positive alternatives including education, employment and training, community leadership and healthy lifestyles. By using the model of social vulnerability, as conceptualized by Vettenburg, we address the question: how socially vulnerable youth can become less vulnerable by doing sports?

Publication year:2013

Keywords:youth, sports, social vulnerability, coaching, organization