Football,sport and the development of young people’s life skills

The development of life skills has been associated with participation in sport, football and other physical activities. A factor in enabling this ambition to be realized is the actions and behaviours of sports coaches. Drawing on the concept of positive youth development through sport, the first part of this paper considers the types of environments coaches need to create in order for players to develop life skills. The second part of this paper discusses formal coach education and its role in developing coaches’ knowledge of life skills development. The third and final section of this paper offers an alternative explanation of how people’s exposure to certain social contexts results in the development of life skills. A review of literature in these areas reveals that the role sport and football has played in players’ development of life skills is unclear and in need of future research attention.     

Young people’s experiences of parental involvement in youth sport

Recently parental involvement in youth sport has intensified, challenging the understanding of youth sports as an arena where adolescents can develop their identity and autonomy. On this background, our study explores how adolescents understand and negotiate their parents’ involvement in sport and how they define ideal and undesirable forms of parental involvement. Our empirical setting is Norway, and we draw on data from 16 focus group interviews among 13–14-year-olds (n?=?92) recruited from two lower secondary schools. The analysis shows that young people distinguish between different aspects of the sport activity when defining ideal and undesirable forms of parental involvement. When discussing sport as a healthy activity necessary for physical and social development, the young people interviewed approve of parents’ role in regulating and encouraging participation. When considering the athletic aspects and peer sociability, however, they see parental involvement as mostly undesirable. The analysis also shows that the adolescents generally describe their parents as attentive to the boundaries their children draw for them about levels and types of involvement. Therefore, young people should be seen not only as subjected to parental involvement but also as active co-constructors of valid parental roles in and beyond the sporting arena.     

Should toddlers and preschoolers participate in organized sport? A scoping review of developmental outcomes associated with young children’s sport participation

ABSTRACT

Organized sport is offered at increasingly younger ages, with many programs geared towards preschoolers, toddlers, and infants. While sport is promoted as an amendable context for healthy development of school-age children, little is empirically known about potential benefits or risks associated with organized sport participation in early childhood. A scoping review of nine electronic databases identified English-language, peer-reviewed, original research articles which addressed psychological, emotional, social, cognitive, or intellectual developmental outcomes of organized sport involvement of children aged 2–5 years; included studies were appraised for quality. Findings offer preliminary evidence that early sport participation is related to primarily positive outcomes (e.g. enhanced social skills, pro-social behaviours, self-regulation), while negative and inconclusive outcomes were also identified. Results suggest limited existing research has primarily relied on parent or teacher proxy-report or assessment, and reinforces that little is known about toddler and preschooler organized sport participation as a distinct form of physical activity, despite pervasive availability of programming, and positive parental perceptions of early enrolment. Additional research with stronger methodological design and rigor is needed; recommendations to enhance the quality of future studies with young children are discussed.     

Playing to your opponent’s weakness – or strength

Playing to your opponent’s weakness is a strategy commonly adopted in head-to-head sports. I argue, however, that competitors in head-to-head sports should adopt the opposite strategy: playing to your opponent’s strength (PTS). To do so, I first distinguish two senses of victory and explain what constitutes a meaningful victory in head-to-head sports. I then examine the implications of mutualism as exhibited in Robert L. Simon’s view that sport is a mutual quest for excellence through challenge. Finally, I defend the notion that competitors in head-to-head sports should adopt PTS by stating and answering seven objections.     

‘I actually used to like PE,but not now’: understanding care-experienced young people’s (dis)engagement with physical education

Young people’s experiences of, and (dis)engagement with, physical education has received considerable attention in recent years. Yet one ‘group’, care-experienced young people, remain ‘hidden’ within the prevailing literature. In light of their apparent invisibility within research, this novel, exploratory study seeks to gain some understanding of the factors associated with (dis)engagement from/with physical education among this youth population. In contrast to the few studies that explore the broader physical culture experiences of care-experienced youth that prioritise the voices of adults, this paper combines data from two studies to give voice to the experiences of four care-experienced young men in England, alongside those of key adults, namely residential staff, foster carers and physical education teachers. Data were derived from participatory research methods with the young people and semi-structured interviews with the adults who work with/for them. Drawing upon Bourdieu, principally his notions of field, habitus and capital, the findings suggest that these care-experienced young people are at a pedagogic disadvantage, since they are not as well positioned to access opportunities for learning and participation or develop, maintain and extend those skills and dispositions that are recognised as valued capital in physical education. Moreover, the changing room, as a sub-field of the broader physical education space, where bodies are particularly on display, may present obstacles for care-experienced young people’s engagement due to their prior experiences of physical and/or sexual abuse. This study therefore calls for further research exploring care-experienced young people’s experiences of physical education, teachers’ understandings of care-experienced youth, and how their pedagogic practice might shape (dis)engagement with physical education.     

Development of the children’s active play imagery questionnaire

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to develop an instrument, the Children’s Active Play Imagery Questionnaire (CAPIQ), to assess imagery use during children’s (7–14 years) active play. Phase 1 involved an assessment of content validity using experts (N = 7), while Phase 2 assessed the factorial validity of the CAPIQ using a sample of children (N = 302). Phase 3 contributed to the factorial validity of the CAPIQ by utilising confirmatory factor analysis among an independent sample of children (N = 252). The final version of the CAPIQ consists of 11 items across three factors: fun, social and capability. Further use of the CAPIQ will aid in identifying types of imagery used among children (7–14 years) in their active play, which may contribute to physical activity interventions.     

Sex,drugs and science: the IOC’s and IAAF’s attempts to control fairness in sport

Abstract

This paper traces the history of two important policies in sport: rules against drugs and ‘ambiguous’ athletes in women’s events. We identify three phases in the work of the International Olympic Committee’s and International Amateur Athletic Federation’s medical committees: (1) from the mid-1960s to the 1970s, the medical grounding of the committees and the members’ worldviews encouraged the groups to enlist scientific techniques to solve drug use and sex ambiguity issues; (2) from the 1970s to the 1980s, administrative confusion underscored both committees, but scientific personnel gained legitimacy and furthered their own agendas; and (3) from the 1980s to the mid-1980s, the seeds of diversion in sex and drug tests were sown. The central finding of this study is that the stakeholders who shaped anti-doping and sex testing policies took for granted concerns regarding ethics and instead increasingly relied upon medical, scientific, and technical practices to define and control fairness in sport.     

To be or not to be an excellent football referee: different experts’ viewpoints

Football is central to the lives of countless individuals around the globe. While most of the attention of those passionate about the sport is focused on the players, football referees are often just as important in shaping the outcome of the games. Therefore, research is increasingly examining the role of referees. Even so, our understanding of the factors that create an excellent football referee is still scarce.

Based on our analysis of the opinions of 24 football experts, we demonstrate the multidimensionality of excellence in the performance of football referees. From a Categorical Principal Components Analysis (CatPCA), we were able to pinpoint that football referee excellence is shaped by three distinct dimensions: individual preparation, game preparation and game management. Additionally, we were able to see if these perceptions were different from individuals “within” the game versus those “outside” the game. Namely, we used CatPCA to graphically display the main correlations between the latent dimensions of football refereeing performance and the “inside” and “outside” perspective of the game. The findings of our work contribute towards the knowledge of the factors that shape football referee excellence, while also highlighting areas in need of additional research attention.     

From ‘philosophy of sport’ to ‘philosophies of sports’? History,identity and diversification of sport philosophy

My goal in this article is to give a portrait of how modern sport philosophy, which started in 1972, developed from relatively narrow paradigmatic borders to become a diverse and multi-paradigmatic international discipline. This development has included several changes but also some continuity. I identify three main tenets that may be viable in the future. One is to focus on the traditional sport philosophical paradigm, which had an ambition to identify the essence of sport. A second option is to develop more specific approaches, focusing on single sports or types of sport, like football or climbing. A third alternative is to develop a philosophy, not only of sport but of ‘homo movens’, studying the moving human being in different environmental and socio-cultural contexts. All three options are viable and should be welcomed.     

“If people are wearing pink stuff they’re probably not real fans”: Exploring women’s perceptions of sport fan clothing

Given the growth in the female sport fan base of North American major league sports and the development and expansion of women’s team-related apparel, the purpose of this study was to examine women sport fans’ perceptions of team apparel. The authors collected data through in-depth interviews with 16 Canadian women who self-identified as fans of professional sport teams. They perceived a lack of options in team apparel, despite the development of women’s clothing lines. Analysis of the aesthetics, symbolism, and instrumentality of team apparel using a third-wave feminist approach provides socio-cultural explanations for women fans’ dissatisfaction with existing offerings. This approach advances understandings of the social circumstances shaping women’s sport experiences as fans and the impact of gender on consumer engagement. Results suggest that sport teams need to recognize the diversity of women’s gender identities and expressions and provide a wider range of clothing that demonstrate their status as authentic fans.     

Physical activity experiences of young people in an area of disadvantage: ‘there's nothing there for big kids,like us’

Through an examination of the experiences of young people in one disadvantaged area, this paper adds to an emerging body of knowledge focused on what place physical activity occupies in the lives of young people in areas of disadvantage. A total of 40 young people (21 males, 19 females) participated in focus group interviews. The research question explored the forces which enable and constrain the participation of youths in physical activity and the interplay between such forces and how they experience and exercise agency. All focus group interviews were transcribed, coded and thematically analysed. The findings remind us that young people can be seen as positioned within multiple social relations conferred by specific social identities (such as child, friend, brother or sister) and each of these identities influences the ability of youth to exercise agency in choosing whether, where and when to participate in physical activity. Institutional structures also influenced the physical activity habits of young people in this study. It was interesting to note that staying out of trouble was one of the most discussed benefits of physical activity. Young people also recorded feelings of disempowerment through the belief that no significance was attributed to their words and shared thoughts. This sense of constrained agency presents a particular difficulty when we consider that it is only through accessing the voices of young people that those attempting to promote physical activity can ensure that the range of opportunities being created are matched to the preferences of youth.     

Social change through an urban sport for development initiative? Investigating critical pedagogy through the voices of young people

This article explores the pedagogy of an urban Sport for Development (SfD) initiative in Belgium through the voices of young people. We draw on the critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire, and use qualitative research methods (i.e. observations, informal conversations, in-depth interviews and sharing circles) over a three-year period, to analyse the initiative’s actual pedagogical practice with key Freirean concepts (i.e. ‘banking education’, ‘dialogue’ and ‘dialogical action’) and virtues (e.g. respect for people’s knowledge, rejection of discrimination, caring for people). The findings reveal the presence of several Freirean virtues, emerging dialogue and, for some, action thought. Still, the SfD initiative remains at considerable distance from fully-fledged critical pedagogy. The young people in the SfD initiative nonetheless experience it as a space where they can be themselves, feel at home, gain respect, can learn to reflect and form opinions, and are temporarily freed from daily struggles such as discrimination. We discuss several pathways that could foster the capacity to organise and deliver a programme beyond emerging dialogue and action.     

‘A galaxy of sporting events’: sport’s role and significance in the Festival of Britain, 1951

The 1951 Festival of Britain has long been seen as a key moment in the country’s post-war history – especially in terms of popularising modern architecture and contemporary interior design, as well as symbolising the transition from acute economic austerity to a long period of relative affluence. However, successive writers have largely or completely ignored sport’s role in the Festival project. This paper argues that, in fact, sporting fixtures played an important role in the national and local festivities which were staged between May and September 1951. Their range, diversity and popularity means that the Festival should begin to be seen as a more successful and less insular event than previous studies have suggested. On the other hand, the support that such fixtures received from various newspapers and via the airwaves – courtesy of the BBC – indicates that the Festival faced far less media (and, indeed, political) opposition than its organisers liked to suggest and most historians have hitherto accepted. By studying the Festival’s sports programme, therefore, it is possible to gain fresh insights into the project as a whole and reassess its overall performance.     

Gender equality,sport and the United Nation’s system. A historical overview of the slow pace of progress

Abstract

The history, milestones and (sluggish) progress towards gender equality within the interconnected movements of sport, international development and human rights are reflective of the broader feminist struggle. In this paper, we shall explore how key stakeholders, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the (former) United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport together with other women and sport organisations have been working to promote gender equality within and beyond sport. Despite decades of parallel or synchronized effort, critics contend that progress is slow and uneven, leaving generations of girls and women marginalized. In this article, we explain the progression towards a renewed initiative to create a UNESCO Global Observatory for Women, Sport, Physical Education and Physical Activity and discuss how the observatory should serve as a nexus of these collective movements by bringing advocacy, research and action together in one platform.     

‘Sport was the centre of my memories’: the performance of sport in Australia’s Asian garrisons

ABSTRACT

For better or worse, sport mirrors and mediates much of everyday life. Within both the military and colonial spheres, the physical attributes of sport are especially prized as tangible representations of social and cultural hierarchies. In turn, this further enhances the prestige and influence of sport within these two particular environments. Sport becomes particularly potent in instances where military forces undertake garrison duties in overseas colonial and post-colonial environs. This paper highlights the centrality of sport to the lives of the Australian service personnel and their families who were posted to Australia’s garrisons in the decades after World War II. The myriad roles of sport within these overseas garrison environments – as comforter, connector, healer and reinforcer on the one hand, and as isolator, oppressor and subverter on the other – are explored. This paper suggests that, for a variety of reasons, participation in sports served as the central organising force for most Australian service personnel and their families in these Australian military communities.     

Scandinavian women’s football: the importance of male and female pioneers in the development of the sport

ABSTRACT

The importance of female and male pioneers in the development of women’s football in Scandinavia is in focus, where some of the female pioneers’ experiences presented. Sif Kalvø from Western Norway was the first known Scandinavian female football player who played abroad in Italy in 1971, and she was one of the pioneers. She was dependent on door openers in Norway and abroad. The door openers role, in making professional football possible; how the professional contracts came through; and why the Scandinavian female footballers went global in the early phases, discussed. To study this the Norwegian Mother of Women’s football, Målfrid Kuvås, and other female pioneer footballers are in-depth interviewed. Kuvås’ large collection of scrapbooks with media coverage, letters and other correspondence from the 1960s to 2000s are also studied. Qualitative in-depth interviews carried out, with five of the early professionals and five of the leaders involved in the migration processes. Secondary sources are academic literature and sport media. The dream about playing professional football, and to be able to live from football brought female players across the globe. Due to this, migration research is of interest when studying women’s football, and ‘push’- and ‘pull’- factors in migration are discussed.     

Zinedine Zidane’s return to the land of his ancestors: politics,diplomacy or something else?

Zinedine Zidane was one of the best players of the late 1990s and the early 2000s. His achievements as a soccer player are well known and are documented in a few well-written biographies. Therefore, this essay will focus on lesser-known aspects of his life, such as charity, humanitarian work and, to some degree, diplomacy. During his short and historic visit to Algeria in 2006, he was successful in improving Franco–Algerian relations considerably, something that many politicians had failed to achieve in previous decades.