The influence of community on athletic development: an integrated case study

Abstract

We conducted a case study of one athletically successful Canadian community (646 residents) during a recent time span. Twenty-two residents were interviewed and transcripts were qualitatively analysed using content analysis. Results fell into one of three themes. The first theme, developmental experiences, concerned youth engaging in organised and unorganised sport activities where teammates remained stable throughout development. The second theme, community influences, concerned the interdependence between the local schools and community. The third theme, socio-cultural influences, concerned youth possessing a collective identity coupled with an intense inter-community rivalry. The influence of community on athletic development is an advantageous avenue for future research.

Keywords:

• community sport
• case study
• talent development
• youth sport
• social interdependence

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a standard research grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC 766-2010-4093) and (SSHRC 410-2011-0472). The authors would also like to thank Dave Hancock for helpful comments and criticisms of earlier drafts.