Narratives of trauma and resilience from Street Soccer players

ABSTRACT

Trauma exposure is a global public health concern, with lifelong psychological, social, behavioural, and physical health detriments. There is a growing need for trauma-informed interventions, with Sport for Development (SfD) programmes identified as one set of promising interventions. This narrative inquiry explores the lives of soccer players taking part in two SfD programmes (e.g., Street Soccer Scotland, Street Soccer USA) that serve populations with high rates of trauma exposure (e.g., homeless, immigrant, refugee). Through interviews with players and significant others, it became clear that the Street Soccer programmes were using the popularity and appeal of the sport to achieve broader goals. Beyond this, they have embraced the core tenets of trauma-informed programming, cultivating growth and resilience amidst an ecological framework with interrelated systems.

KEYWORDS:

• Homeless
• immigrant
• refugee
• sport for development
• sport-based youth development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Adelphi University.

Notes on contributors

Meredith A. Whitley

Meredith A. Whitley is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Sport-Based Youth Development at Adelphi University. Her research explores the complex and multi-faceted roles of sport and sport for development programmes in the lives of youth from under-resourced communities, along with the interrelated systems impacting youth and community development.

Jordan A. Donnelly

Jordan A. Donnelly is a researcher and associate lecturer from the University of the West of Scotland, UK. Jordan’s research explores the developmental potentials of sport in various disadvantaged and hard-to-reach populations.

Daryl T. Cowan

Daryl T. Cowan is a lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, UK. His research focuses on the role of sport and physical activity as a vehicle for psychological and social development in the community.

Sara McLaughlin

Sara McLaughlin is the Data and Evaluation Manager at the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, as well as a Graduate Assistant for Adelphi University’s Sport-Based Youth Development Specialization. She is especially interested in studying the intersection of sport and youth/community development.