Abstract
BACKGROUND: Public health increasingly recognizes the value of strength-based approaches, moving beyond merely addressing deficits. Sport for Development (SfD) interventions offer a unique avenue for fostering holistic well-being, especially for socially vulnerable youth of color facing systemic disadvantages. However, existing SfD research often lacks clarity on how these interventions achieve their outcomes, a gap known as the 'black box' phenomenon. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between specific Positive Youth Development (PYD) experiences within an SfD intervention and critical youth outcomes: social-emotional learning (SEL), leadership development, and career and college readiness. METHODS: This was a two-year rolling cross-sectional study at the South Bronx United (SBU) Academy, a soccer-based intervention serving low-income, immigrant, and first-generation youth (ages 10-19) annually. Participants completed surveys at the start and end of each academic year to assess SEL, leadership development, and career and college readiness. Seven distinct PYD experiences - including team building, authentic engagement, and sharing power - were measured at the end of each year. Robust linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between these PYD experiences and the measured outcomes. RESULTS: Linear regression analyses showed positive and largely significant relationships between the reported PYD experiences and all measured outcomes. Specifically, PYD experiences strongly correlated with enhanced SEL, leadership development, and career and college readiness across both years. CONCLUSIONS: PYD experiences within SfD interventions are strongly correlated with SEL growth, leadership development, and career and college readiness, especially for socially vulnerable youth of color. This underscores the crucial role of adults in facilitating these experiences. SfD organizations should intentionally design programs to foster PYD experiences, provide comprehensive staff training for cultivating PYD experiences, and implement robust monitoring and evaluation systems to maximize their contribution to broader public health goals.