YOUTH CIVIC

YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN
SPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT
Selina Khoo and Andre Matthias Müller
INTRODUCTION
Sport in the modern sense is a hotly debated concept,
as there are widely varying opinions on the
extent to which it is understood to incorporate the
many different forms of bodily movement, play, and
games existing worldwide. Sport—specifically athletics—was
historically a religious activity performed to
please the gods in ancient Greece. Another important
purpose of athletic training was preparation for
wars and violent conflicts. In comparison, modern
sport is rather secular in nature and is performed
to accommodate various (arguably more peaceful)
motives such as promoting health or getting
together with others. This also means that it is more
inclusive of a wider audience that can be mobilized
for humanitarian purposes. Pierre de Coubertin was
among the first who had the vision of sport being
a universal movement of education towards peace,
tolerance and development when he initiated the
first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. He
likely thought that it was the younger generation
that would benefit most from the lessons sport could
teach because competitors were mostly younger
people who would eventually be responsible for
future development.
One reason sport rose to become one of the pillars
of development efforts (and especially peacebuilding)
relates to its inherently non-violent approach to
nationalism, which stands in clear contrast to how
nationalism was expressed a few centuries ago
(through warfare and killing). Sport “conflicts” (competitive
races, matches or games between nations or
clubs) are resolved based on rules that constrain violence
and encourage respect. Arguably, people who
engage in sport learn those values and also experience
extreme emotions, which are particularly vital
for youth. The rise of sport-based development and
peacebuilding projects in conflict-affected regions
exemplifies how sport has proven capable of easing
conflicts that might otherwise have escalated.
For example, various programmes in the Middle East
bring Israeli and Palestinian youth together via sport.
Sport has evolved from its cultic (ancient Greek) and
elitist (industrializing British) origins into a secular,
highly inclusive force that can contribute to achieving
the Millennium Development Goals. The working
group initiated by the United Nations to drive the
agenda on sport for development and peace is dedicated
to seeing those Goals realized.
THE POTENTIAL OF SPORT
FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
What makes sport so valuable for young people?
It is generally acknowledged that there are three
broad areas in which sport can positively affect
youth development. First, sport participation leads
to personal (physical, psychological, educational and
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