Successful International Sport-Based Youth Development Panel

On Tuesday, October 7th, Dr. Jennifer Bruening, Professor of Sport Management and Department Head of Educational Leadership, moderated an International Sport-Based Youth Development Panel that was hosted by the Office of Global Affairs, Global Training and Development Institute. The panelists included Dr. Marion Keim and Ms. Nariman Laattoe (both from the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa), Ms. Megan Bartlett (Up2Us, Boston, Massachusetts), and Mr. James Morton (the Greater Hartford YMCA, Hartford, CT). The panel allowed for a dynamic discussion on the power of using sport in work with youth, as well as a better understanding of the communities that the panelists are working in. While sport is often times seen as a distraction or activity to pass time, the panelists were able to provide compelling stories in their work with youth that demonstrated sport is so much more.

The panel was in collaboration with a two-way educational and cultural exchange hosted by the Global Training and Development Institute, which will provide 20 professionals working in sport-based youth development (10 from South Africa, 10 from the United States) the opportunity to see the framework in action from a global perspective. The program will encourage participants to share their experiences, challenges and successes in managing and organizing youth sport. While traveling overseas, participants will discuss sport-based youth development and the practical applications of using sport in working with youth in their communities. In addition, each participant will be paired with someone from the opposite country participate in a three-day job shadow at their counterpart’s organization as a way to see the methodology in practice.

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