The Police Athletic League: Using sport as a vehicle for positive youth development

Abstract

Positive Youth Development has been described as a proactive approach to facilitate the development of youth (Pittman & Fleming, 1991). In recent years, the PYD approach has been incorporated into many community programs to prepare and engage youth for the future (Lerner, 2007; Wenger, 2010). However, formal evaluations of such programs are sparse and therefore very little information regarding the effectiveness of these interventions is known. The Boys and Girls Club offers a youth sport program known as the Police Athletic League (PAL). The overall mission of PAL is to provide a barrier-free program that uses recreation as a tool for social development. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived impact of participation in PAL on the development of youth. The Youth Experiences Survey was completed by 108 youth and ten of these youth completed semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that youth perceived the PAL as a program that helped them develop athletic skills (M=3.63), put forth effort (M=3.49), establish diverse peer relationships (M=3.26), learn how to take initiative (M=3.14), and develop a sense of belonging in their community (M=3.13). The results of the interviews further 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 positive life skills, and facilitates the transference of skills to outside domains.