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Abstract
Background: Sport/physical activity interventions are sometimes viewed as a panacea for youth-related social problems, and this may explain their proliferation. Yet, there is little robust evidence to support some of the claims made for the efficacy of such programmes, particularly those relating to sustained benefits for young people.
Aims: The purpose of this paper is to report findings from longitudinal research on two youth sport/physical activity interventions in the UK in order identify key features in their design that were found to be central to sustained positive impact.
Method: Two physical activity programmes that sought to address youth disaffection and disengagement were evaluated by one research team using a similar evaluation strategy. Between 2003 and 2007 (years 1–4 of each programme), over 10,000 young people participated in the programmes (HSBC/OB and SSLfS). Impact data were collected on over 50% of all SSLfS pupils engaged in the programme nationally (n = 4700) and 90% of HSBC/OB pupils from the five participating schools (n = 540). An evaluation framework was designed based on a range of detailed, individualised methods including: individual pupil profiling, school-level case studies and the creation of programme logic models. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, profile comparisons and a constructivist revision of the grounded theory method.
Results: Data on sustainability of impact on young people are reported from each project and the findings are considered together to identify common themes. Data suggest that six key features should be embedded in the design of physical activity/positive youth development programmes: matching pupils' specific needs with programme objectives; locating project activities outside of the ‘normal’ school context; working closely with pupils to choose activities, set targets and review progress; establishing positive relationships between leaders, mentors and pupils; offering young people the opportunity to work with and for other young people; and making available structured pathways to enable young people to have sustained involvement in further project or complementary activities. Importantly, what these data illustrate is that in combination and through complex interaction, these six design features can maximise the potential for sustained positive impact on youth participants.
Conclusions: These data offer insights into the mechanisms that can lead to positive impact from physical activity/sport interventions/programmes. Perhaps more importantly, the findings illustrate the complex ways in which these different mechanisms interact to produce positive outcomes.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge that this paper forms part of two recent research projects: the evaluations of the Youth Sport Trust/Sky Sports ‘Living For Sport’ project and the HSBC Education Trust physical activity programmes. The authors are grateful for the support of these bodies, their continued interest in the evaluation research and their desire to facilitate wider academic learning.
Notes
The PESSCL (Physical Education School Sport Club Links) strategy was launched by the UK government in 2002 and saw significant funding (£459 million) invested in physical education and school sport. The NOPES (New Opportunities for PE and Sport) initiative also saw significant investment (£751 million) in PE and sport, supported by lottery funding. Positive Futures is a national social inclusion project in the UK that uses various activities, including sport, to engage with socially marginalised young people.
HSBC in the Community is a subgroup of the global bank HSBC's corporate social responsibility arm and has responsibility for promoting positive relationships with the local community.
The Outward Bound Trust is a global educational charity that has a long history (over 65 years) of using outdoor experiences and challenges to facilitate young people's development.
Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the UK and Ireland and is the current sponsor of the ‘Living For Sport’ programme.
The Youth Sport Trust was established in 1994 and is an independent charity that has a focus on supporting, encouraging and developing young people through PE and sport.
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is an achievement award for young people, in which they undertake a number of activities intended to promote personal and social development. There are three levels of award (bronze, silver and gold) and each includes physical, social and community elements. Young Enterprise is a national education charity founded in 1963 to forge links between schools and industry, and business mentoring schemes are similar educational initiatives designed to equip pupils with a better understanding of career opportunities and develop their employability skills through regular meetings with volunteer mentors from local businesses.
Recent policies/strategies include PESSCL and NOPES (see Note 1), as well as PESSYP (the Physical Education and Sport Strategy for Young People, a successor to PESSCL), Every Child Matters and Youth Matters (for further information, see www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters).
