Youth Olympic Games Participation and Social Responsibility

This study explores how participation in an elite youth sport event may foster the development of social responsibility early in life, drawing on retrospective semi-structured interviews with thirty former Youth Olympic Games (YOG) athletes. Interpreted through the lens of Positive Youth Development (PYD), the study examines how athletes’ experiences of the YOG contributed to both personal and social development. The findings show that athletes understood social responsibility in relation to doping-free sport, gender equality, safety in sport, environmental sustainability, and community engagement. Participation in the YOG was also perceived as promoting values such as integrity, caring, and contribution that extend beyond athletic performance and align with PYD’s five Cs: competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring. In addition, Olympism emerged as a complementary cultural framework through which athletes interpreted responsibility, emphasizing values such as friendship, fair play, respect, and cultural exchange. The study contributes theoretically by demonstrating how PYD can help explain the role of elite youth sport in shaping social responsibility. The findings also underscore the importance of the YOG educational program and suggest that national sport organizations may adopt similar approaches to promote social responsibility within youth sport. Limitations include the relatively small sample size, reliance on retrospective interview narratives, and the unique context of the YOG, which may constrain generalizability. Nevertheless, the study highlights the potential of youth sport, when guided by PYD principles, to prepare young people for active, responsible, and socially engaged roles beyond sport.