Recent research in the field of sport for development (SFD) has examined how organisational dynamics, such as the structure and management of SFD organisations, might better facilitate the impact of sport-based interventions. Such research has highlighted the increasingly precarious policy and funding landscape within SFD, noting how organisational survival is a constant pressure, and the need to be resilient, adaptable, and sustainable, has assumed a higher strategic priority. In addition, various scholars in the field have appealed for research that draws upon the ideas, experiences, and reflections of practitioners to directly explore how stakeholders across the SFD landscape are responding to current challenges. This paper is a direct response to these appeals, drawing upon a qualitative research project that engaged 27 SFD organisations from across the globe. The paper presents the reflections of representatives of these organisations, highlighting the challenges currently evident in the SFD sector, how they might be countered, and how they may also present opportunities for the sector. Specifically, the paper provides empirical evidence in relation to three themes: (i) the implications of current (short-term) funding models, (ii) the subsequent impact on building organisational capacity, and (iii) the challenges of engaging at a government/policy level.

This qualitative single-case study explores how culturally responsive practices are enacted within Net Worth, a sport-based youth development organization serving Black youth in a marginalized community in Florida, United States. Centered around an out-of-school-time tennis program, the study examines the mindsets and experiences of administrators, staff, and volunteers engaged in promoting positive youth development through a non-traditional sport. Data sources included 53 field observations, 29 semi-structured interviews, archival documents, and organizational artifacts. Using deductive thematic analysis, the study identified patterns and themes of cultural responsiveness, highlighting both effective practices and areas needing improvement. Findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how cultural responsiveness operates in sport-based youth development settings and offer implications for enhancing inclusive and contextually relevant programming.

Countries in the Global South are marginalized in the international parasport space. While international aid has contributed to the development of parasport in the Global South, the aid was often given without clear evidence of local needs. The purpose of this study was to identify the needs related to parasport development in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic based on the lived experience of parasport stakeholders. As such, this paper is highly original and provides a detailed examination of a significant yet underexplored area. A total of 14 parasport stakeholders participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven para-athletes, six parasport coaches, and one administrator. Transcribed interview data were analyzed with Thematic Analysis. The findings demonstrated the tangible need for parasport equipment and standardized facilities. Although less tangible, the need for a parasport coach training system was evident for parasport development. Perhaps more latent but equally important was the need for inclusive employment, as para-athletes require an income to continue training and competing. The findings indicate that parasport development cannot be achieved by sports policy alone. There is a need for greater focus on developing a more inclusive society, which suggests the need for inter-ministerial collaborations to develop parasport.

The formal recognition of sport as a developmental tool by the United Nations in 2003 brought sport into the development arena. The alignment of Sport for Development (SFD) with development distinguishes it from community club and high-performance sports. SFD is also distinguished by the fact that SFD implementing organisations rely on external funding to maintain operations. The funder-implementer relationship is, therefore, crucial as this interorganisational relationship (IOR) support the sustainability of the sector. In this study, we conducted a scoping review of the scholarly literature examining the IORs between and amongst funding and implementing organisations involved in SFD. Guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework, we searched peer-reviewed academic literature published between 2009 and 2024. Searching four electronic databases, we identified 27 journal articles exploring aspects of the IORs between funding and implementing organisations in SFD. The thematic analysis identified four themes: a) motivation to engage in an IOR; b) issues of power impacting on IOR; c) tensions within funder-implementer IORs; and d) strategies to create value within the funder-implementer IOR.

The Sport New Zealand Outcomes Framework (SNZOF) details the contribution of the physical activity (PA) system to national wellbeing. However, it is unclear whether the SNZOF meets the needs of the country’s diverse populations. This paper aims to review the SNZOF to assess whether it adequately addresses wellbeing for Māori and Pacific rangatahi (young people aged 12-17). We conducted a literature search of wellbeing frameworks for these populations and compared it to the SNZOF to identify gaps. Three themes were then formed by comparing similar gaps identified across the compiled literature; 1) the depiction of PA contribution to national wellbeing in the SNZOF is not adequately holistic; 2) the role of culture is not clearly detailed; 3) population autonomy is not included as a long-term outcome. To address the identified gaps, we made three overarching recommendations for future iterations of the SNZOF; 1) acknowledge all domains of long-term wellbeing equally as part of a more holistic approach; 2) make culture an overarching principle to the entire framework; 3) apply systems thinking to embed autonomy as a long-term outcome. Enhancing the SNZOF has positive future implications for equity across diverse rangatahi populations, creating a robust PA system and improving national wellbeing.

Introduction: This study investigates the effectiveness of a 20-week Sport-Based Positive Youth Development (SBPYD) program aimed at enhancing resilience among inner-city adolescents. The research focuses on how participation in structured sports activities can improve key resilience factors, including self-esteem, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging.

Methods: The intervention involved a combination of physical activities, small group remedial lessons in language, reading, and mathematics, and individual coaching sessions to set personal developmental goals. To assess the outcomes, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was used to measure self-esteem, while the Sense of Belonging Scale from the OECD’s PISA study evaluated adolescents’ sense of belonging. Additionally, self-efficacy was assessed using the self-efficacy statements from the Sense of Mastery Scale. Participants completed surveys at the beginning and end of the intervention to capture changes in these constructs.

Results: The findings indicated significant improvements in adolescents’ self-esteem. Equally, participants reported a stronger sense of belonging in the intervention context compared to the school context. These results suggest that the SBPYD program effectively fostered resilience among adolescents.

Discussion: The findings suggest that SBPYD programs effectively enhance resilience in adolescents by fostering self-esteem and a sense of belonging through structured sports activities. The study highlights the importance of such interventions in promoting positive youth development and suggests that future research should include control groups and larger sample sizes to further validate these results and explore the long-term impacts of SBPYD programs.

Sport has the potential to play a valuable role within justice systems where the influences of institutionalized inequities are witnessed on a concentrated scale. Despite potential benefits, there has been found to be limited and varied access to sport programming across youth justice systems, and gaps exist in our understanding of how programs are implemented, including the factors that affect implementation in secure settings. Utilizing a theoretical framework from implementation sciences, this study identified important characteristics of implementation among a sample of exemplar sport programs in juvenile facilities. Findings highlight the value of using an ecological approach to understanding sport program implementation in a unique and non-traditional setting, such as the correctional system. Further, our findings reveal promising practices for the implementation of sport in juvenile justice to promote positive youth development and wellbeing and have implications for efforts to address inequitable access to sport and its related benefits among youth who are incarcerated.