Preadolescent Female Development Through Sport and Physical Activity

Abstract

Youth development research has found that children become more engaged and benefit more from being incorporated as decision makers. Thus participation helps promote development and encourages engagement. Based in theories of engagement and free-choice learning, the current research focused on a program combining sport/physical activity, life skills, and mentoring while promoting healthy life choices for preadolescent girls of color. The co-investigators, all women, conducted two 2-hr visits per week for two 12-week periods with a group of 8 girls at a community recreation center in Hartford, Connecticut, including lessons in nutrition and life skills and participation in a sport/physical activity. Five of the girls completed every stage of data collection, including participant journals and four individual inter views with each participant and her parents, over the course of the 24 weeks. The co-investigators also kept journals throughout the program. The results refected the following themes: self-esteem/self-worth, accountability/responsibility for self, connections to community and a sense of belonging, knowledge and acquisition of health/life skills, application of those skills, and planning and recognizing one's own influence on self and others.

Key words:

• community
• life skills
• mentoring
• student athletes

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer E. Bruening

The authors would like to thank the City of Hartford Division of Health and Human Services, the University of Connecticut Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Women's Health, and the Ethel Donaghue Center for Transitional Research for their support of the program and research. We would also like to thank Carrie Graham for her assistance and insight into the writing of this manuscript. For copies of the journal questions, background questionnaire, interview guides, and sample session, contact the first author. Please address all correspodence concerning this manuscript to Jennifer E. Bruening, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, 2095 Hillside Road, Unit 1110, Storrs, CT 06269.