Research update: using recreation to curb extremism: sports and recreation have been proven to be effective means of addressing peace building in the Middle East.

If young people--particularly young men--are uprooted, intolerant, jobless, and have few opportunities for positive engagement, they represent a ready pool of recruits for ethnic, religious, political extremists seeking to mobilize violence." (USAID, 2005)

In the wake of Sept. 11, there is increased interest on the part of the U.S. State Department to help stabilize societies and develop programs designed to help citizens become more aware of a sector of the world that is little understood--the Islamic nations of the Middle East. This interest has yielded many forms of cross-cultural exchanges, the extent of which has provided opportunities to look at the unique needs of many nations.

One such need has been in the area of youth recreational sport development that can to serve as a form of intervention to provide youth in nations of the Middle East with positive and constructive opportunities.

Because of a number of destabilizing factors in this region of the world, the Middle East region is constantly at risk for conflict. Using recreational sport as an intervention to prevent terrorism offers a more contemporary research area and one in which little systematic analysis has been conducted. Colliard and Henley (2005) report that "many organizations have been turning to sports and play programs to help the young by addressing social problems and facilitating peace building" (2005).

This kind of intervention can incorporate various models and initiatives. USAID (2005) suggests that youth service institutions need to provide group-based activities (sports, community service, education) that give participants a positive identity, group empowerment and acquisition of leadership, teamwork and self-governance skills under adult supervision (2005).

"The true effectiveness of using sport as an intervention to help children overcome suffering and distress is not in competition but in cooperation, not in winning or losing, but in the process of participating in a supportive group" (Colliard & Henley, 2005). Recreational sport programs should emphasize and focus on the total sport experience rather than just playing the game (Smith & Smoll, 1996).

Prevention

Weatherburn and Baker (1999) reported results from an Australian study that examined self-reported crimes committed by more than 5,000 secondary school students. Referred to as transient offenders, these individuals committed crimes that included primary (first offender) and secondary (persistent offender) crimes such as assault during sport, assaults after sport, shoplifting, moped theft, malicious damage, receiving/selling stolen goods, and breaking and entering. The authors concluded that communities should establish long-term prevention through early childhood intervention as well as to use intelligent policing through development of a close partnership with the community.

In terms of the role of sport activities for young people and their impact on crime reduction, Lindval (2003) discovered a relationship between certain forms of public spending for recreation and leisure and crime reduction. Nichols and Crow (2004) concluded that sport programs may need to be developed with such impacts in mind, and that current programs are being developed "in an ad hoc manner based on environment." Thus, it is important to note that youth sport interventions need specific goals and outcome assessments to determine their success.

Social Exclusion 

A study by Holden and Wilde (2004) about the role of soccer in the United Kingdom found that several community schemes showed the community-building features of one premier club.

It was found that this club may involve more individuals who might otherwise be excluded from sport if the club were not in existence. It was also concluded that "soccer clearly has great cultural value for some of the young people involved in the schemes we are currently examining."

A Canadian study underscores similar impacts related to social exclusion (Saskatchewan Culture, Youth and Recreation Branch, 2003). It was suggested that participation in recreation activities can provide an antidote to antisocial behavior in youth through the development of social skills, linkage with positive adult role models, development of cognitive skills, and increasing self-confidence and self-esteem.

Witt and Crompton (2003) provided examples of how elements of positive youth development are being incorporated into park and recreation programs across the United States to enable youth to overcome risks factors in their lives. Arai, Caldwell, Niepoth and Lobo (2003) further suggest that "the lives of many of the world's children and adolescents continue to be disrupted by war, violence, dislocation, poverty, poor health, abuse, exploitation and other negative influences.

When this happens, young people experience the ultimate constraint to positive development, transformative experiences and other benefits of leisure."

Conclusion

Recreational sport programs help youth establish peaceful and productive relations with their neighbors, in the United States and across the world. According to the United Nations, "young people (ages 15-24) make up 1.2 billion of the world's population" (United Nations, 2005). Because of this staggering number of youth, youth sports can represent one of the most dynamic groups in society because sports, being played globally, encompass all race, religion, ethnicity, gender and class. Youth and youth sport leaders play vital roles in transforming dangerous and violent conflict situations associated with terrorism across the world.

Sport has been shown to be highly successful for building bridges and creating friendships among youth. The team approach in sport leagues can connect youth from different ethnic backgrounds and help youth gain a sense of belonging, experience the importance of teamwork and cooperation first hand, and value fellowship that crosses traditional regional boundaries.

References

Arai, S. M., Caldwell, L., Niepoth, B., & Lobo, F. (2003). World Leisure Editorial World Leisure Journal, 2(45), 1-3.

Colliard, C., & Henley, B. (2005, December). Overcoming trauma through sport. Paper presented at the 2nd Magglingen Conference-Sport and Development, Magglingen, Switzerland.

Holden, P., & Wilde, N. (2004, July). Defense or attack? Can soccer clubs help tackle social exclusion? Paper presented at the ISTR Sixth International Conference, Toronto, Canada.

Lindvall, L. (2003). Does public spending on youths affect crime rates? Working Paper Series 2004:3, Uppsala University, Sweden.

Nichols, G., & Crow, I. (2004). Measuring the impact of crime reduction interventions involving sports activities for young people. The Howard Journal, 43(3), 267-283.

Saskatchewan Culture, Youth and Recreation (2003, August). The Impact of Culture/Arts, Sport and Recreation on Antisocial Behavior in Youth: Evidence and Analysis. Strategic Policy and Youth Branch.

Smith, R.E., & Smoll, F. L. (1996). Way to go coach: A scientifically proven approach to coaching effectiveness. Portola Valley: Warde Publishers.

United Nations (2005, February). Enhancing Youth Participation and Action in the Implementation of Copenhagen Declaration of the World Summit for Social Development. Economic and Social Council-Commission on Social Development, Forty-third Session

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) (2005). Youth and conflict: A toolkit for intervention. Washington, DC: USAID.

Weatherburn, D., & Baker, J. (1999, March). Preventing crime and violence among transient and persistent offenders. Paper presented at the 3rd National Outlook Symposium on Crime in Australia, Canberra, Australia.

Witt, P., & Crompton, J. (2003). Positive youth development practices in recreation settings in the United States. World Leisure Journal, 2(45), 4-11.

Research Into Action: Youth Development Across Cultures

The Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange (ICCE) was created in 2005 by academic and administrative leaders at Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame in order to bridge mutual understanding, appreciation and cooperation between the United States and the Muslim world through youth sports development. The USPORT-Kyrgyzstan project was an ambitious initiative of public diplomacy, sports diplomacy, cross-cultural exchange, in-country grassroots projects and international cooperation. The project consisted of three phases which included youth recreational sport programming, youth leadership and development training, and youth tolerance training.

Youth Recreational Sport Programming. Sports have been shown to be highly successful for building bridges and creating friendships among youth. The team approach in sports leagues connects youth from different ethnic backgrounds and helps youth gain a sense of belonging, experience the importance of teamwork and cooperation first hand, and value fellow ship that crosses traditional boundaries.

Youth Leadership and Development Training. Youth development in general can enable young people to develop a sense of responsibility, more self-confidence, a sense of value in the eyes of others and a greater value to positive and productive relationships with others. Youth leadership training in particular gives young people the skills needed to analyze issues, suggest solutions and resolve conflicts in peaceful ways that contribute to unity within and between communities.

Youth Tolerance Training. Greater tolerance, acceptance of others, mutual understanding, and respect are key to the development of cooperation between persons of different ethnic backgrounds. This kind of cooperation is fundamental to peaceful change in multiethnic regions. Training in religious tolerance makes youth less likely to be convinced by the extremist religious ideology to use violence against persons of other faiths in the broader international arena.

Lynn M. Jamieson, Re.D., is the chair of the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies at Indiana University, specializing in tourism image salience and the leisure industry. Craig M. Ross, Re. D., is an associate professor in the same department. His research interests include recreational sport management, youth sports, technology and pedagogy.