Sports-based youth development is a methodology that uses sports to provide the supports and opportunities youth need to be healthy contributing citizens now and as adults. A sports-based youth development program offers youth an experience in which they learn and master sports skills along with life and leadership skills in a safe, fun, supportive, and challenging environment. This experience involves caring relationships, facilitated learning, experiential learning, and vigorous physical activity.
Youth access and participation in sports activities are therefore important them, their parents, communities, formal academic institutions
and the country on a whole. Sports participation generally serves broad purposes. Some of these are, for example: to provide children with fun and gratification; to fulfill what social psychology academics refer to as “affiliative” need for friendship, a sense of belonging, and such alike; to offer the near-term prospect of healthier minds and bodies through physical exercise; and for the long-term cumulative favorable outcome and benefit generally associated with youth development –
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