RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Participants' experiences of a community-based sport program: a vehicle to positive youth development A1 Bean, Corliss N. A1 Forneris, Tanya A2 Ediciones Universidad de Valladolid AB Researchers assert that sport can be a context that enhances youth development. As a result, an increasing number of community sport programs have begun to incorporate life skills (Wenger & Foutz, 2010). However, formal evaluations of such programs are sparse and therefore little is known regarding the ir effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived impact of a barrier - free youth sport program. Results indicated that youth perceived PAL (Police Athletic League) as a program where they develop athletic skills (M=3.51), put forth effort (M=3.32), develop a sense of belonging in their community (M=3.12), establish diverse peer relationships (M=3.11), and learn how to take initiative (M=3.10). Results from interviews supported these findings as the themes that emerged detailed PAL as a fun, safe, and accessible environment that enables friendships to emerge, acts as a catalyst for the development of life skills, and facilitates the transference of skills to outside domains. SN 1578-2174 YR 2014 FD 2014 LK http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/23770 UL http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/23770 LA spa NO Agora para la educación física y el deporte, 2014, N.1, pags.59-75 DS UVaDOC RD 22-dic-2024