Grassroots Sport Development Outcomes with Rural Gambian Youth

Abstract

This study seeks to explore two distinct but complementary fields of thoughts — Grassroots Sport and Youth Development. The research identifies the links between grassroots sport development and how it affects youths in rural Gambia. In considering three important variables: 1) the perception of rural Gambian youth on grassroots sports development, 2) Identify its roles in youth development and, 3) Critically examine the roles it plays in establishing a structured pattern of youth development. This study was accomplished through reviewing extant literature on grassroots sports development and conducting qualitative semi-structured interviews of 13 youths of The Gambia for the purpose of data triangulation and analysis. The results and findings obtained from this study have shown to what extent community grassroots sport development programs have impacted the lives of Gambian youth. The program, the study finds, has had many positive impact on the participants who still live to get the benefits from the initiative in other alternative careers.