Community Sport for Development: Perceptions From Practice in Southern Africa

Abstract

Development practitioners and agencies consider sport to play a valuable role in social development; however, the emerging evidence does not yet adequately describe sport’s contribution to social development. Lyras (2009, 2012a) proposed a sport for development theory (SFDT) as a specific model to increase understanding of the processes and conditions involved in sport for development (SFD) programs. In our study, SFD practitioners of the Kicking AIDS Out Network were interviewed to identify project elements perceived as significant for achieving development objectives, and their perceptions were examined in relation to SFDT to test its applicability to their particular development context. The findings suggest SFDT offers an appropriate framework to enhance project design and delivery that integrates the features of sport, education, life skills development, use of leaders as change agents, and participation that are key to Kicking AIDS Out programs and other community sport programs promoting behavior and social change.