Young athletes as sports activists: Empowerment as a fundamental element of the process

Abstract

The involvement in activism provides an excellent context for developing knowledge, skills, values and attitudes, empowering young citizens and transforming them into catalysts of change, transitioning from a learning phase to active citizenship. Since leveraging sport's potential in fostering citizenship can amplify the cultivation of these capacities, the main aim of this study is to ascertain the role of sport as a catalyst for activism, contributing to developing young athletes as dedicated citizens striving to create inclusive societies. Harnessing the potential of activism in youth education, we devised a programme grounded in activist methodologies inspired by youth participatory action research. Thirty-three young athletes, aged 12–16, participated in comprehensive research conducted within both formal (school) and non-formal (sports club) educational settings. The programme unfolded through three successive phases: (1) capacity enhancement workshops; (2) athlete-driven project conception and community engagement; and (3) evaluation and findings dissemination. The process was monitored through participant observation, interviews with young people at the beginning and end of the project and one interim focus group. The young athletes learned how to identify problems in their community, what activist tools they can rely on to address those problems and how they can use education and sport to promote change in communities. A new individual dimension was visible in most young participants, who started to see themselves as agents of change and activists. The socio-educational potential of sport to promote participation and citizenship also became evident.