Sport and Social Intervention. A Monitoring Study with Disadvantaged Youths in Bergamo (Italy)

The literature reports the potential positive impact of sport as a tool for social inclusion highlighting the relevance of the social context and organizational factors. The research involved disadvantaged youths entrusted to the care of social services in Bergamo (Italy. Participants came from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, with limited family capacity to provide adequate educational and relational support. In their hosting day centers and communities, they had been introduced to various sports (football, athletics, volleyball, dance…) and then involved by sport clubs under the supervising of social services. This study aimed to assess, using specifically developed criteria, whether participation in sport contributes to long-term improvements in participants’ well-being and quality of life, and to identify organizational factors associated with both successful outcomes and critical issues. Following a previous stage with field (n=35) and meeting observations (n=23), interviews (n=3), and focus groups (n=6), the life histories and sporting experiences of 15 vulnerable adolescents (purposive/theoretical sampling), participating in the program, were explored through semi-structured interviews, analyzed using both narrative and paradigmatic analysis. Findings: from an organizational viewpoint, problematic factors were the lack of communication between educators and coaches and, for the adolescents, the lack of motivation and limited motor skills; positive factors were the joint training for educators and coaches, the integration with the welfare system, the possibility of holding different roles within the sports clubs (not only players, but also assistant, staff person). These findings can contribute to understand the influence of organizational factors in sport and social intervention programs.