What are the best practices that Sport for Development organizations should follow to ensure the best outcomes for children?

1. PROJECT BRIEF
Sport
for Development
How can Sport 4 Development
programmes contribute
to positive mental health
outcomes for refugee children?
©
UNICEF/UNI366272/Sibiloni

2. Overview
Around the world, sport, recreation and play are
improving the health and well-being of children
and youth. Sport for development (S4D) organiza-
tions harness the power of sport to help children
improve their health; to develop their social
educational and leadership skills; to empower
them and, of course, to play and have fun. S4D
protects children’s right to play while contributing
toward Sustainable Development Goals.
Approach
The research team is implementing a
mixed-methods pilot to collect quantitative data
on S4D participation, implementation modalities
and mental health outcomes, while gaining
a deeper understanding of the programme
mechanisms through qualitative interviews and
focus group discussions. As a public good, a
mental health tool and an observational tool will
be developed, supporting the Barça Foundation
and all S4D organizations to share their experien-
ces and effective strategies with one another and
to monitor children’s mental health progress.
The findings from this study will not only inform
S4D programming but can pave the way for a
subsequent larger experimental study, such as
a randomized control trial or quasi-experimental
research. On a larger scale, this research could
potentially serve as a guide for policymakers to
identify gaps in children’s mental health and help
them to prioritize mental health policy for children
in their respective countries.
Goal
This project aims to show what good mental
health looks like for refugee children and
understand the processes through which an
S4D programme impacts their mental health.
The study will look at mental health outcomes,
but also at the intervening mechanisms and
implementation modalities of S4D that bring
about positive change.
Project Highlights
This project is part of a broader partner-
ship between UNICEF the Barcelona
Football Club (FC Barcelona) and the
Barça Foundation that focuses on
improving children’s lives through sport,
play and protection.The first phase of
the project culminated with the publica-
tion of the report Getting into the Game
– the first global literature review on
S4D.The second phase – Playing the
Game – utilizes ten in-depth case studies
to develop a guiding framework for
S4D programming. Now in the third
phase, the research will zoom in on
Barça Foundation’s S4D programme,
“FutbolNet” and how it can benefit
refugee children’s mental health in one
of the largest refugee camps in Europe.
PROJECT BRIEF
Contact Info
Despina Karamperidou
Education Research Specialist
dkaramperidou@unicef.org
Matt Brossard
Chief, Education
mbrossard@unicef.org
Chiara Pasquini
Education Researcher
cpasquini@unicef.org
Michelle Mills
Education Researcher
mmills@unicef.org
Collaboration opportunities
UNICEF Innocenti is looking for partners to
support this pioneering research to expand the
evidence base on the impact of S4D on child
well-being through implementation research,
randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and
quasi-experimental analyses.Thematic priorities
(beyond mental health) include education, social
inclusion, conflict resolution, and racism.