Page 16 - Spring 2016 Newsletter
P. 16








Exploring Our Strengths and



Our Future: A Sport-Based Youth
2014-2015 



Development Program in Southern
AASP Outreach Grant 



Queens, New York
Recipient





Will Massey, PhD, CC-AASP, CSCS, Concordia University - Wisconsin 

Meredith Whitley, PhD, Adelphi University





Adams, 2012). Along with this commonly included former high level athletes (NCAA DI, 

shared belief that on-ield athletic success NFL, NBA) that were raised in extreme poverty, 

provides an avenue to a better life, others experienced physical, sexual, or emotional 

have proposed that the transferable skills abuse, lived in violent communities with poor 

learned throughout athletic development school systems, and/or had family members 


can improve an individual’s quality of with drug, alcohol, or mental health issues 

life off-the-ield as well (e.g., Camiré et (n = 10); individuals identiied as inluential 

al., 2009; Danish & Nellen, 1997). Despite members to the aforementioned participants’ 

these shared beliefs, and media hyperbole support team (n = 7); and community leaders 

fueling these ideals, there is often a lack (i.e., psychologist, police oficers, community Will Meredith

of scholarly discourse as to how one’s organizers; n = 4).
MASSEY WHITLEY

environment, including sport experiences, 
While data collection and analysis is still 
may serve to promote or mitigate personal 
ongoing, our preliminary results have 
development in and through sport.
identiied three different paths that sport can Today’s youth face an ever-growing number 

The purpose of our current project is to help to facilitate development. When faced of developmental challenges as they navigate 

utilize a constructivist grounded theory with high levels of trauma and developmental a complex and complicated world. For youth 

methodology in order to develop a context risk (e.g., physical abuse, sexual abuse, growing up in low-income, under-resourced, 

or traumatized communities, greater 
speciic theory that deconstructs the role drugs, gang violence, familial mental health 

sport plays in the lives of disadvantaged issues), sport can become a domain that environmental and personal barriers exist 

youth and examines the relationships and serves as a distraction, escape, or coping for healthy development across the lifespan. 

systematic factors that underlie these mechanism. Within this situation, sport can Within this context, sport has continually served 

processes. To date, we have conducted, be a protective developmental factor. This as a huge draw for disadvantaged youth, with 

the enjoyment of play and competition mixing 
transcribed, and analyzed 21 interviews protective factor is enhanced if sport helps 

utilizing a constant comparative and youth build positive relationships, provides with the commonly shared belief that athletic 

iterative process. Our participants have
structure and accountability, and provides a
success can lead to a better life (Dubrow &



AASP Newsletter // Spring 2016 // Exploring Our Strengths and Our Future: A Sport-Based Youth Development Program in Southern Queens, New York



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