Marc Theeboom

The potential of sports-based social interventions for vulnerable youth: implications for sport coaches and youth workers

Sports have long been viewed as an opportunity to actively engage young people in a leisure context and not just in terms of participation in sports activities, but across a range of issues including education, employment and training, community leadership and healthy lifestyles. Although there are some indications that when working towards broader outcomes with socially vulnerable youth a specific methodology is required, it remains unclear what constitutes this specificity within a sports context. For this, a Flemish (northern region of Belgium) sport project was selected in which data were gathered by means of in-depth and focus group interviews with participants, coaches and key witnesses. The purpose was to gain more insights into how sports are delivered for and experienced by youth who could be considered as socially vulnerable. At the level of coaching, the socio-pedagogical approach and the cultural capital are described as key elements in working towards broader outcomes for socially vulnerable youth. The aim of this study was to develop our understanding of how organised sports, as a series of social relationships and processes, can contribute in making socially vulnerable youth less vulnerable.

Asian Martial Arts and Approaches of Instruction in Physical Education

Asian Martial Arts and Approaches of Instruction in Physical Education Abstract During the last three decades, Asian martial arts have become popular in the West. In recent years, there has also been an interest in incorporating martial arts into the physical education curriculum. Although three different approaches of Asian martial arts practice can be distinguished (i.e., traditional, efficiency, and sporting), martial arts instruction in physical education is often limited to one approach and usually includes only one specific discipline. The present paper describes the most important characteristics of various Asian martial arts disciplines and discusses the use of different approaches of instruction in physical education.

Martial arts and socially vulnerable youth. An analysis of Flemish initiatives

Notwithstanding the lack of empirical support for its positive socio-psychological effects, numerous educators and welfare workers make use of martial arts in their work with socially vulnerable youth. Using qualitative methodology, the aims, approaches and personal experiences were analysed of teachers and co-ordinators involved in specific martial arts programmes (n=12) for disadvantaged youth in Flanders (Belgium). Results revealed that although all respondents were very positive with regard to the effects of their programmes on the youngsters they work with, most would not regard these as different from the effects resulting from regular participation in sport or other social activities. Martial arts were selected because of their specific attraction to youth. Findings also showed that great importance was attached to the type of guidance used.

Social capital development among ethnic minorities in mixed and separate sport clubs

During the past few decades, policymakers have had increasing expectations of sport in relation to the social integration of ethnic minorities. From a policy perspective, mixed organized sport is often advocated in order to bring people of diverse cultures in contact with each other which, in turn, is believed to foster interethnic tolerance and solidarity. At the same time, there is the perception that separate organized sport impedes the integration of ethnic minorities. However, there is little empirical underpinning to verify that a mixed organized sport context offers more opportunities in generating social capital among its members in comparison with a separate sport context. By using Putnams theory on bridging and bonding social capital as a theoretical framework, this study was aimed to examine to what extent social capital is created in both mixed and separate sport clubs among ethnic minorities in Flanders (Belgium). The findings could not support the common belief that a mixed organized sport context offers more social integrative potential to its members compared with a separate sport context. The research suggests that both types of contexts offer the opportunity to acquire social capital. Simultaneously, both forms produce different social capital. Mixed sport club members indicated more that they learnt to make contact with others, became self-confident and learnt about other ethnic groups, while members of separate sport clubs appeared to have more personal non-sport-related conversations with other members and helped each other more often outside the sporting context.

Sports-based interventions for socially vulnerable youth: Towards well-defined interventions with easy-to-follow outcomes?

In this paper, we critically examine the burgeoning scientific discourse about sports-based interventions for socially vulnerable or disadvantaged youth from a socio-pedagogical perspective. It is argued that the call for more well-defined sports-based social interventions with easier-to-follow outcomes may be at odds with the open-ended philosophy that is viewed as a fundamental principle when engaging with socially vulnerable youth in a leisure context (Smith, 2003), and could potentially undermine the effectiveness and value of such practices for young people. We examine the question if supporting young people in social vulnerable situations will be best served with well-defined sports-based interventions with easy-to-follow outcomes. We argue that if outcomes are to be formulated or analysed, such outcomes need to go beyond narrow conceptions of individual development, and need to be defined in consultation with young people. Adopting a socio-pedagogical perspective, we have proposed an alternative way to define (and evaluate) outcomes, in consultation with young people, in terms of biographical, institutional and political competences. Furthermore, it is argued that there is an acute need for re-socialising sports research regarding social interventions for socially vulnerable groups, and in particular youth.

Community sports development for socially deprived groups: a wider role for the commercial sports sector? A look at the Flemish situation

Since the early 1990s, specific community sports programmes have been set up in Flanders (Belgium) to stimulate participation among socially deprived groups. With only a limited involvement of the traditional sports sector, alternative providers (e.g. youth welfare sector) became active in organizing local initiatives, such as neighbourhood sports. However, despite the multiplicity of sports providers, to date, inequalities in sports participation still exist. The present paper investigates whether or not the commercial sports sector can contribute in developing a sustainable community sports offering for socially deprived youth. Based on examples regarding its involvement in so-called ‘street sports’, it is argued that the commercial sector entered the domain of community sports providers by using highly accessible activities for this youth. It is yet to be determined if, and under which circumstances, this involvement offers opportunities for a wider role of the commercial sports sector in community sports development.

Effectiveness of National Elite Sport Policies: A Multidimensional Approach Applied to the Case of Flanders

Abstract While the results of nations in international sport competitions are most often used as an evaluation of effectiveness of elite sport policies, they do not take into account the long-term duration of an athletic career, nor the many confounding variables influencing international success. This paper argues that output evaluation is a one-sided approach to policy assessment. It applies a multidimensional approach to the measurement of the effectiveness of elite sports policy evaluation (meso-level) by examining a four-year cycle of elite sport policies in Flanders. This study endeavors to advance the development of a framework to assess effectiveness of elite sport policies of nations. Data were collected at multiple points of the input-throughput-output and feedback cycle. It was found that in spite of the increasing elite sport expenditures in Flanders (inputs), and notwithstanding the development of the throughputs (processes), this has not as yet lead to acceptable results (outputs) at an international level.

Towards understanding the potential of sports-based practices for socially vulnerable youth

Many literatures can be found reporting on the association of organized youth sports with a range of positive health-related, educational and social outcomes. Specifically in relation to socially vulnerable youth, sports are viewed as an opportunity to engage young people in a leisure context, not only in terms of participation in sport activities but also across a range of positive alternatives including education, employment and training, community leadership and healthy lifestyles. By using the model of social vulnerability, as conceptualized by Vettenburg, we address the question: how socially vulnerable youth can become less vulnerable by doing sports?

Experiences of children in martial arts

Abstract Contrasting images seem to appear regarding the effect of martial arts involvement in general and with regard to youth in particular. On the one hand, there are several reports referring to medical and moral concerns with a focus on assumed negative effects to personal and social well-being. On the other hand, there is a common belief that martial arts practice is associated with positive socio-psychological outcomes. To date, conclusive evidence regarding the effect of martial arts remains scarce, as not all research findings point in the same direction. In addition, little is known about the way children experience their martial arts involvement. Through the use of a qualitative research methodology, 40 children between the age of eight and twelve years in five different martial arts were interviewed in-depth regarding their experiences and views on participation motives, training, competition and behaviour. In general, findings seem to support the relationship between martial arts practice and positive socio-psychological responses. It is concluded that analysing the experiences of children in martial arts should take different approaches of martial arts practice into account.

Teaching in martial arts: The analysis and identification of teaching approaches in youth martial arts practice

Background It is believed that martial arts can produce educational opportunities for youth. Therefore, some critical success factors have to be taken into account. One of these factors is considered as the type of guidance. However in martial arts, there is a lack of research examining the role of the martial arts teacher. Therefore, a study was set up to analyse different teaching approaches used in martial arts and to develop a framework aiming to identify these teaching methods. Material/Methods: A multiple instruments research design was set up, in which 20 teachers in aikido (n=5), karate (n=10) or kick-/Thai boxing (n=5) were involved. All of them were observed during a training session (i.e., informal interactive observation). Moreover, they were interviewed before and afterwards (i.e., pre-interactive and post-interactive interviews). The pre-interactive interview guide included questions regarding (a) the goal of teaching, (b) the didactical approaches, (c) the traditional aspects of martial arts, and (d) the problems encountered during training. During the post-interactive interview all subjects were asked to point out specific aspects of their teaching approach and to respond to an instrument specifically developed for this study, which consists of seven dimensions to identify different teaching approach (i.e., TAMA, Teaching Approach in Martial arts framework). Results: Based on the total scores of TAMA, martial arts teachers were classified into three groups. Those with the lowest scores were classified as representatives of a traditional teaching approach, with medium scores as teachers using an educational sporting approach and with the highest scores as those using an efficiency approach. In short, teachers using a traditional teaching method emphasised traditional aspects and pedagogically oriented aims. Martial arts teachers situated in the educational sporting group were still focused on the traditional aspects, but considered martial arts rather more as a sport. And finally, the focus of teachers using an efficiency approach was on competition and the development of performing skills. Conclusions: Differences are clearly identified in the teaching approach used by teachers of different martial arts (i.e., aikido teachers use a traditional approach while kick-/Thai boxing teachers show an efficiency approach), as well as within one martial art (i.e., karate teachers use all three approaches). The development of TAMA was the first onset to identify different teaching approaches in martial arts. In order to generalise the results of the present study further research is recommended