The aim of this thesis was to explore the role of soccer in the personal development of socio-economically disadvantaged individuals in the UK. Despite the adage that soccer is an effective vehicle for positive youth development and for diverting young people from delinquency and crime, little empirical evidence exists concerning how and why soccer can help transform the lives of disadvantaged individuals. Accordingly, this thesis employed a range of qualitative and longitudinal quantitative designs to address these gaps in the existing literature. Study one employed life story methods to explore the role of soccer in the life of coach who works with disadvantaged youth. The subsequent studies adopted the theoretical framework of self-determination theory (SOT; Deci & Ryan, 2000), to examine the coaching and psychological processes within an organised soccer programme for disadvantaged individuals. This thesis revealed the significance of soccer in the lives of disadvantaged individuals. Collectively, the results highlight the importance of organised sport and education programmes in the personal development of socio-economically disadvantaged individuals. More specifically, the role of the coach within these programmes was found to be particularly important in this development. The thesis presents key practical implications for the development and delivery of sport and education programmes for disadvantaged individuals and makes several advancements of SOT.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:627907 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Cowan, Daryl T. |
| Publisher | University of the West of Scotland |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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