The Role of Sports in Positive Youth Development: A Case from the Republic of Guatemala

Abstract (English)

Sports for Development and Peace (SDP) have skyrocketed in the last three decades in international development contexts. Several studies have proved that SDP projects have enhanced human development and social inclusion in countries that face social issues. Guatemala is one of the countries where SDP intervention may contribute to overcoming social issues, such as high homicide rates and youth involvement in crime scenes. In local sociocultural contexts, religious practices, especially mass, function as moral development in the youth development pathways, and faith development historically has played a significant role in collectivism. This inquiry tried to clarify how sports are perceived in children’s developmental pathways from the parents’ perspective compared to schooling, religious activities, and other free time activities, such as house chores. By snowball sampling, fifteen adults with children aged six to twelve were selected from a small village. The participants were categorized into two groups: those with children playing sports and those without. All participants participated in a demographic survey and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The thematic reflective analysis identified three primary themes: Parents’ Background, Physical and Mental Safety, and Children’s Preferences. These themes illustrated how they interrelated and impacted children’s participation in sports. Secured circumstances were identified as a fundamental enabler of children's involvement in extracurricular activities. Trustful relationships with coaches and lecturers, accessibility, and physically safe environments are not just essential but crucial for fostering engagement. The SDP practitioner successfully created shared values with community members through Christianity in their approach. This alignment with local values highlighted the significance of tailoring SDP interventions to specific cultural contexts to maximize their effectiveness. The participants expressed their strict child-rearing experiences in their childhood, which was reflected in current child-centered parenting styles, and children gained self-resilience in the decision-making process regarding their free time activities. The results of this article conclude with implications for practitioners regarding the importance of creating shared values and mutual communications between implementing parties and beneficiaries, enabling practitioners to generate huge impacts. That means the practitioners must have in-depth knowledge about the target area and populations to adapt to the local ecosystem with common sense. Alignment with local contexts would be the most significant factor in producing positive outcomes for at-risk youth, minimizing cultural conflicts. Constant longitudinal investigations are required to support how much the SDP programs align with local contexts and how sports help children develop positively and resolve social issues in the target areas.