Community sport coaching and youth work: relatability and effective practice in the context of austerity

Crisp, P. (2025) Community sport coaching and youth work: relatability and effective practice in the context of austerity. World Leisure Journal. pp. 1-27. ISSN 2333-4509

[thumbnail of This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in World Leisure Journal on 17 November 2025 available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2025.2587632] Text (This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in World Leisure Journal on 17 November 2025 available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2025.2587632)
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Abstract

The recent UK policy of austerity has resulted in significant funding reductions for a wide range of leisure services. Indeed, specific preventative services that operate within the context of participants’ leisure activities, such as community sport coaching and youth work that focus on positively intervening and preventing anti-social behaviour, have continued to decline, thus resulting in a range of negative consequences for disadvantaged young people. Given that both fields share a history and objectives by using leisure and recreational activities to support behavioural change, this paper explores the potential for shared good practices, methods, and possible guidelines/recommendations for practitioners through examining parallels in applied practice between community sport coaching and youth work. Using a qualitative method, data was collected via semi-structured interviews with 10 community sport coaches and youth workers. The findings suggest that both fields share significant similarities in approach and practice, and that meaningful approaches to facilitating engagement with service users can be made through actively promoting empathy and “relatability”, including sharing experiences, jointly constructing interactions, and regularly monitoring and supporting young service users.

Publication Type: Articles
Uncontrolled Keywords: empathy, relationships, austerity, social deprivation, recreation
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV557 Sports
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV557 Sports > GV711 Coaching
H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare > HV40 Social service. Social work. Charilty organisation and pracitce > HV697 Protection, assistance and relief > HV701 Children
Divisions: Academic Areas > Institute of Sport
Research Entities > Centre for Health and Allied Sport and Exercise Science Research (CHASER)
SWORD Depositor: Publications Router Jisc
Depositing User: Publications Router Jisc
Date Deposited: 03 Dec 2025 10:59
Last Modified: 03 Dec 2025 10:59
URI: https://eprints.chi.ac.uk/id/eprint/8405

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