Developing Resilience in Young People Through Community Sport: A Pragmatic Approach

Abstract

Resilience is commonly defined in psychology as the ability to bounce back from stress. However, its conceptual and methodological inconsistencies, both generally and specifically in community sport, limit its practical use towards youth in community sport. Across five chapters, this thesis addresses these gaps by using a strong theoretical foundation to examine how community sport can support the development of resilience in young people. It does so through the creation of an observer-rated measure of resilience, the use of established self-report tools, and the application of Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis to estimate wider social value.
Chapter 1 introduces the rationale, objectives, and context. It discusses the growing concern for youth mental health and the potential of sport as a vehicle for positive youth development. The chapter also critically reviews the literature, noting weaknesses such as vague definitions, inconsistent measurements, and limited theoretical grounding in resilience research and interventions both generally and in youth sports contexts.
Chapter 2 details the development and initial validation of the novel Observable Resilient Behaviour (ORB) Scale, developed as part of this thesis to assess resilience through externally visible behaviours rather than self-reports. Based on a four-stage resilience process—anticipate, minimise, manage, and mend—the scale was created through literature review, expert input, and psychometric testing using Bayesian Structural Equation Modelling. From an initial pool of 286 items, the process yielded a reliable 16-item tool. The ORB Scale offers an objective, context-sensitive way to assess resilience, with potential use in both education and high-performance sport settings.
Chapter 3 presents a mixed-methods study investigating resilience-building through community sport delivered by Manchester City Football Club. Study 1 compared youth in a sport programme to a matched control group and found significantly higher resilience and wellbeing in the sport group. Focus groups with coaches revealed themes such as trust, belief in participants, and the importance of lived experience. Study 2 piloted a four-session resilience intervention, co-designed as part of this thesis research with community coaches and delivered through a Soccer Schools programme. Despite small sample sizes, quantitative and qualitative results showed positive outcomes, suggesting that community sport is a feasible and impactful setting for resilience interventions. The work followed the Medical Research Council’s framework for the evaluation of complex interventions.
Chapter 4 evaluates the social value of the community sport interventions using SROI methodology. Study 1 (cross-sectional) found higher wellbeing and resilience among PL Kicks participants than a control group, with an SROI ratio of £4.68 for every £1 invested. Study 2 (pre-post design) evaluated the Soccer Schools programme, incorporating the resilience intervention, and calculated a higher SROI ratio of £13.16 for every £1 invested. This chapter highlights the social value of community sport in delivering wellbeing outcomes and calls for consistent, transparent reporting in future SROI studies in this field.
Chapter 5 synthesises findings across the thesis to show how community sport can foster resilience. It reflects on the novel ORB Scale development, the resilience intervention's design and implementation, and the SROI outcomes. The thesis contributes to resilience theory by framing it as an observable and learnable process, grounded in behavioural and ecological theory. Key achievements include creating a novel behaviour-based measure, demonstrating real-world intervention impact, and confirming the substantial social value of sport-based youth programmes. Limitations include small samples and retention issues with control groups, but strengths lie in the theory-driven, participatory, and multi-method approach. The thesis concludes with implications for research, policy, and practice, advocating for resilience to be intentionally embedded in youth sport to enhance both personal development and societal value.
 

Date of Award	24 Jun 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Bangor University
Supervisor	Nichola Callow (Supervisor), James Hardy (Supervisor), Stuart Beattie (Supervisor), Rhiannon Tudor Edwards (Supervisor) & Chin Wei Ong (Supervisor)