A RE-AIM evaluation of a sport-based trauma-sensitive youth development programme

ABSTRACT

Programmes using a trauma-sensitive sport model can support underserved youth to feel safe, participate fully, and build life skills. A RE-AIM framework was used to evaluate the implementation of a trauma-sensitive sport model to youth programming. Three clubs of a Canadian youth-serving organisation attended training and implemented programming from 2017–2019. Multiple methods including interviews, logbooks, and assessments helped map each RE-AIM dimension across training, delivery, and programme outcomes. Reach: 218 youth attended over the two years (144 boys, 67 girls, 2 unidentified; M_age= 9.12 ± 1.26); reach was facilitated by youth being drawn to sport but challenged by attrition. Effectiveness: Leaders reported successes in youth’s life skills such as willingness, peer support, and self-regulation (↑9.16%, significant at t[53] = −8.00, p < .001, d = −.42); this effectiveness was facilitated by the intentional structure, relationship focus, and long-term engagement. Adoption: 18 leaders participated in training and programme delivery, but adoption was challenged by leader burden and turnover. Implementation: Leaders were successful in facilitating a structured programme with a life skills focus, but were challenged by time and scheduling limitations. Maintenance: Leaders valued the programme for their youth, but their participation was contingent on implementation success, continued funding, and leader retention. The results brought insights of salient processes and outcomes in delivering a trauma-sensitive sport model to youth programming, and what capacities and resources are necessary to deliver and sustain quality programmes.

KEYWORDS:

• Trauma-informed
• positive youth development
• community-engaged
• utilisation-focused evaluation
• afterschool

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the administrators of BGCC (Denise Silverstone and Janath Vesna) and the managers and coaches of participating BGC clubs who contributed to this initiative. Thank you as well to Lou Bergholz, Maren Rojas and their team at Edgework Consulting for their inspiration, expert design, and growth of BBL. Finally, thank you to Dr. Corliss Bean who contributed her expertise and efforts in the development and evaluation of this initiative.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data are available on request. Data are not publicly available due as their containing information could compromise the privacy of research participants and organisation.

Notes

1 People of colour were youth who identified as Black (n  =  9, 4%), Indigenous (n  =  7, 3%), East Asian (n  =  4, 2%), South Asian (n  =  3, 1%), Middle Eastern (n  =  3, 1%), Latine (n  =  1, <1%), and multiracial (n  =  7, 3%).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada under Grant # 1617-HQ-000017.