The growing number of sport-based youth development interventions provide a potential avenue for integrating sport meaningfully into the U.S. public health agenda. However, efficacy and quality must be reliably established prior to widespread implementation. A comprehensive search of databases, peer-reviewed journals, published reviews, and both published and unpublished documents yielded 10,077 distinct records. Title and abstract screening, followed by full-text screening using 6 criteria, resulted in 56 distinct studies (coalescing into 10 sport-based youth development intervention types) included in the synthesis. These studies were then independently assessed and critically appraised. Limited efficacy data were identified, with the quality of methods and evidence largely classified as weak. Processes likely to contribute to the outcomes of sport-based youth development interventions were identified (e.g., predictors of ongoing engagement, alignment between target population and intervention, intervention design), although more rigorous research is needed on these and other processes. Physical health outcomes were only studied in 3 of the 10 intervention types. The evidence base does not yet warrant wide-scale implementation of sport-based youth development interventions for public health goals within the U. S., although there is promising research that identifies areas for further exploration.

Various methods have been used to help vulnerable populations, including sport and physical recreation. This study was an initial evaluation of a sport and physical recreation programme for refugee youth based on the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) Model. The purpose was to assess the participants’ perceptions and experiences in this programme, with the conceptual framework for acculturation serving as the theoretical background. Sixteen refugee youth participated in semi-structured interviews, with hierarchical content analysis and consensual validation procedures used for data analysis. The interviews demonstrated the participants’ positive experiences in the programme, including general enjoyment, experiencing and learning new sports, and feeling a sense of belonging. The participants also described the TPSR concepts of respect, teamwork, and leadership, along with transference of these concepts into their everyday lives. This highlights the need for such programmes to aid in the resettlement and acculturation of young refugees into a new society.

Purpose: Three undergraduate students’ experiences in a physical activity-based service learning course are chronicled using narrative inquiry.Method: Data collection included demographics questionnaires, pre- and postservice interviews, reflection journals, postservice written reflections, and participant observations. The data were analyzed with comprehensive deductive and inductive analysis procedures, along with the creation of detailed narratives summarizing students’ individual experiences and outcomes.Results: Results revealed student growth and development, including leadership development, improved interpersonal skills, increased knowledge of social justice issues, and enhanced self-understanding. However, the number, depth, and complexity of these outcomes varied significantly, which was largely explained by individual variables (e.g., interest in learning, level of effort, degree of adaptability).Discussion: These findings highlight the opportunity for course instructors to lead reflective activities before and during the service-learning experience, along with providing individualized guidance and feedback on students’ learning, effort, and adaptability throughout the service-learning course.

This collection of papers is made up of diverse, contemporary, and thought-provoking examples of qualitative methods in the study of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP). In this conclusion, we reflect on some of the key themes that cut across the contributions. Four main topics are discussed: Interpretation (the subjects and voices at the centre of SDP research), Outcomes (the variety of results that are likely to emerge from SDP research), Creativity and Diversity (the need for SDP research that is novel, nuanced, and sometimes messy), and Hope (the productive tension between critique and optimism in SDP research). Through this deliberation, we advocate for an ongoing and even renewed commitment to the qualitative study of SDP, one that moves beyond the rather strict confines of Monitoring & Evaluation and towards an embrace of the full range of social and political implications that emerge from the activities of SDP.