Perspectives from Parents of Former Participants in a Sport-Based Positive Youth Development Program: Long-Term Life Skills Transfer

There is growing evidence to support the value of sport-based positive youth development (PYD) programs in promoting the holistic health and development of youth. However, few studies expand beyond participant self-report to examine whether life skills learned in sport-based PYD programs transfer beyond adolescence into adulthood. This qualitative study examined life skill transfer from the lens of 19 parents and caregivers by exploring perceptions of how former participants (e.g., their once adolescent and now adult children) applied and transferred a subset of specific life skills into other areas of their lives. Semi-structured interviews and thematic content analyses were conducted to identify emergent themes regarding examples and facilitators of life skill transfer. Parents described multiple ways their children applied life skills learned while participating in a sport-based PYD program to work, school, and church, as well as when developing relationships, volunteering, and engaging in advocacy. Facilitators of life skill transfer also included exposure to new and diverse peers, opportunities to try new things, relationships with program staff, program incentives/reinforcements, opportunities for long-term engagement and retention, and parental involvement. Findings support the role of sport-based PYD in promoting long-term outcomes among youth as they grow and develop into adulthood.