Ninth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

Natural disasters are increasingly on the rise and have devastating social, economic, and health impacts on affected populations and communities. Children and youth are particularly impacted by disasters due to various physical, psychological, and social factors related to their developmental stage. Recently, sport has gained attention as an innovative and beneficial method of trauma relief for children and youth in the post-disaster context. In addition, participation in sport activities has the potential to provide children and youth with the opportunity to learn skills that promote resilience in the aftermath of a disaster. This paper discusses an interactive sport initiative involving 72 children that was developed and conducted as a pilot project in a community impacted by the 2013 flood in Alberta, Canada. Findings, based on qualitative data, reveal that the sport initiative provided an effective and valuable educational tool through which children were able to conceptualize, learn, and practice resilience building strategies in a post-disaster context. Utilizing a sport-based approach provided children with a safe, structured, and supportive learning environment; gave children the opportunity to discuss challenges and useful strategies; encouraged children to communicate and interact with their peers in a collaborative fashion; and facilitated guidance and mentorship of children by local sport coaches, thus contributing to disaster recovery.