Critical Positive Youth Development in Non-Traditional Sport Spaces

Youth sport has been recognized as a unique learning context for positive youth development (PYD); yet, as society’s critical consciousness continues to progress, limitations of PYD have been acknowledged. Thus, youth sport scholars have begun to embrace critical perspectives to interrogate the syst...

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Main Authors: Kalyn McDonough Smith, Kelly M. Clanchy, Tarkington J Newman, Michael A. Hemphill
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Youth
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-995X/5/2/55
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author Kalyn McDonough Smith
Kelly M. Clanchy
Tarkington J Newman
Michael A. Hemphill
author_facet Kalyn McDonough Smith
Kelly M. Clanchy
Tarkington J Newman
Michael A. Hemphill
author_sort Kalyn McDonough Smith
collection DOAJ
description Youth sport has been recognized as a unique learning context for positive youth development (PYD); yet, as society’s critical consciousness continues to progress, limitations of PYD have been acknowledged. Thus, youth sport scholars have begun to embrace critical perspectives to interrogate the systems and institutions of sport and society that influence the healthy development of all youth. This has included researchers and practitioners alike, adopting critical PYD (CPYD) as a means to empower young people to question and challenge their histo-contemporary experiences and support collective action towards social change. Our article explores the concept of CPYD and social justice life skills within ‘non-traditional’ sport spaces, including practice examples from the fields of youth disability sport and sport in youth justice. The first practice example provides an in-depth discussion of the theoretical principles of CPYD and their applicability within youth disability sport. The second practice example outlines the practical use of social justice life skills in sport programs within the youth justice system. Together, the practice examples from the field highlight both the theoretical and practical applications of CPYD and social justice life skills within real-world settings, and valuable implications are identified for research and practice moving forward.
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spelling doaj-art-bef09e7d6cd54c278b504455e43e10892025-08-20T03:26:57ZengMDPI AGYouth2673-995X2025-06-01525510.3390/youth5020055Critical Positive Youth Development in Non-Traditional Sport SpacesKalyn McDonough Smith0Kelly M. Clanchy1Tarkington J Newman2Michael A. Hemphill3Center for Sport Leadership, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USASchool of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, AustraliaSport Social Work Research Lab, College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USASchool of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USAYouth sport has been recognized as a unique learning context for positive youth development (PYD); yet, as society’s critical consciousness continues to progress, limitations of PYD have been acknowledged. Thus, youth sport scholars have begun to embrace critical perspectives to interrogate the systems and institutions of sport and society that influence the healthy development of all youth. This has included researchers and practitioners alike, adopting critical PYD (CPYD) as a means to empower young people to question and challenge their histo-contemporary experiences and support collective action towards social change. Our article explores the concept of CPYD and social justice life skills within ‘non-traditional’ sport spaces, including practice examples from the fields of youth disability sport and sport in youth justice. The first practice example provides an in-depth discussion of the theoretical principles of CPYD and their applicability within youth disability sport. The second practice example outlines the practical use of social justice life skills in sport programs within the youth justice system. Together, the practice examples from the field highlight both the theoretical and practical applications of CPYD and social justice life skills within real-world settings, and valuable implications are identified for research and practice moving forward.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-995X/5/2/55youth sportcritical positive youth developmentsport for social justice
spellingShingle Kalyn McDonough Smith
Kelly M. Clanchy
Tarkington J Newman
Michael A. Hemphill
Critical Positive Youth Development in Non-Traditional Sport Spaces
Youth
youth sport
critical positive youth development
sport for social justice
title Critical Positive Youth Development in Non-Traditional Sport Spaces
title_full Critical Positive Youth Development in Non-Traditional Sport Spaces
title_fullStr Critical Positive Youth Development in Non-Traditional Sport Spaces
title_full_unstemmed Critical Positive Youth Development in Non-Traditional Sport Spaces
title_short Critical Positive Youth Development in Non-Traditional Sport Spaces
title_sort critical positive youth development in non traditional sport spaces
topic youth sport
critical positive youth development
sport for social justice
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-995X/5/2/55
work_keys_str_mv AT kalynmcdonoughsmith criticalpositiveyouthdevelopmentinnontraditionalsportspaces
AT kellymclanchy criticalpositiveyouthdevelopmentinnontraditionalsportspaces
AT tarkingtonjnewman criticalpositiveyouthdevelopmentinnontraditionalsportspaces
AT michaelahemphill criticalpositiveyouthdevelopmentinnontraditionalsportspaces