New SBYD Research

Sports-Based Youth Development Programs Foster More Social and Emotional Learning Than Non-Sports Programs

The study was released by Laureus USA and confirmed that sports-based youth development (SBYD) programs play a significant role in fostering critical social and emotional learning (SEL) skills necessary for young people to succeed both on and off the field.  

The study, funded by The Allstate Foundation, surveyed nearly 10,000 youth across the country and found that substantially more young people in SBYD programs develop SEL skills than those attending non-sports programs. It also uncovered that these SBYD programs have a particularly strong impact on young men of color and youth in under-resourced communities. 

“Through sport, young people increase their social skills, teamwork, sense of positive identity, and desire to give back to their team and community – all attributes that have been shown to drive long-term success academically, on the job and in life,” said Kim Sabo Flores, Ph.D. of Hello Insight, who conducted the study. 

You can read more about the study, including key findings here: Sports-based Youth Development: Hitting a Home Run in Social and Emotional Learning Outcomes