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A study examined the impact of outdoor adventure trips on 37 urban adolescents' self-perception. Results from pretest, posttest, and 4-month followup surveys and interviews indicate that participants' self-perceptions of social acceptance and behavioral conduct improved immediately after the trip, and that some behavioral conduct impacts remained 4 months later. (Contains 29 references.) (TD)

Little research has been done on the efficacy of adaptive sport programming for military veterans with disabilities based on the environment in which the programming is implemented. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a university-based setting for an adaptive soccer camp focusing on playing and coaching adaptive soccer skill development and culminating in grassroots soccer coaching certification. Additionally, this study evaluated program effectiveness in addressing the needs of the camp participants. Results indicate that a university-based setting has several attributes that make it an operative adaptive sport camp setting in meeting the programmatic need satisfaction requirements of the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlight significant changes and enhancements taking place at the Journal of Youth Development (JYD). It aimed at promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and the incorporation of assets and support within the JYD publication process. It further underscores JYD's dedication to positive youth development, open access, and its commitment to promote positive change in the youth development field.

Background: Siblings of children with cancer often experience anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), which negatively impact their self-esteem due to emotionally upsetting circumstances. The purpose of this longitudinal quantitative study was to investigate changes in anxiety, PTSS, and self-esteem of youth who participated in a peer support camp for siblings of children with cancer. Methods: A longitudinal study examined changes over time. Data were collected from 32 sibling surveys pre-, post-, and three months after camp. Siblings completed assessments to measure anxiety, PTSS, and self-esteem. A repeated measures ANOVA or Friedman Test was conducted to identify changes across the three data points for each outcome measured. Post hoc comparisons using paired sample t-tests or Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests were conducted. Results: Significant improvements in anxiety; T1 and T2 (p <.000); T1 and T3 (p <.000). Significant decrease in PTSS; T1 and T2 (p =. 001); T1 and T3 (p =.011). Significant improvement in self-esteem scores for older participants (ages 10–16); T1 and T2 (p <.000). Significant improvement in self-esteem for younger participants (ages 7–9); T1 and T3 (p =.005). Discussion: The data generated in this study expand knowledge about the influence of peer support camps on reducing the emotional distress of siblings of children with cancer. The findings warrant further research on the long-term impact of such camps, the value of repeated participation, differences between bereaved and nonbereaved siblings, the phase of the cancer experience, and elements of the camp that have the most impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As more veterans return home from active duty with injuries or retire with disabilities and seek to reintegrate into the community, adaptive sport programming is an important recreational opportunity. Specifically, improved quality of life, more fluid community reintegration, positive psychosocial outcomes, and overall improved health are all stated benefits of participation in adaptive sport programs for individuals with disabilities. This program engaged veterans or members of the armed forces with disabilities in a unique university-based adaptive soccer camp experience with three main goals in mind: (1) to expose the veterans to the adaptive soccer sports of CP/TBI soccer and blind soccer, (2) to provide U.S. Soccer grassroots coach certification, (3) and to identify talent for the U.S. Soccer Paralympic National Team. In addition to facilitating this experience for veterans, we evaluated the camp program based on three main research questions: (1) How do injured military veterans and professionals serving veterans with disabilities evaluate satisfaction in an importance by performance analysis? (2) To what extent is a university-based VA Adaptive Sport Camp a promising setting for learning soccer related skills? and (3) What do injured military veterans and professionals serving veterans with disabilities identify as barriers to participation? Evaluation findings indicated that veterans wanted more information about coaching, the students, and additional community opportunities and were not concerned about the accommodations or food choices at camp, further highlighting the importance of the adaptive sport nature of the program itself. Veterans identified several camp elements that worked well in a university-based setting such as student interaction, scheduling, and balance between being a participant and learning coaching skills and would encourage other colleagues to attend in the future. Finally, participants identified perceived barriers to future participation were based largely on travel distance and costs. Subsequently, the programmers have sought to provide more programs around the country with partner agencies and in so doing, reduce travel time and costs. Overall, this programming model has significant promise for growth and has already provided results consistent with positive community reintegration and increased veteran participation in soccer-related activities, which can pave the pathway for more in-depth program analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the summer months food insecurity increases for some children because many youth who receive meals during the academic year do not receive meals during the summer. Federal summer feeding program data suggest that recreation providers play a role in addressing summertime food insecurity, but few targeted studies have been conducted. This study assessed South Carolina recreation provider participation in programs addressing summertime food insecurity as well as challenges associated with summer feeding program implementation. Data were collected from 58 South Carolina recreation providers (i.e., summer camps and parks and recreation agencies) via an online questionnaire. Provider-reported quantitative, qualitative, and spatial data were analyzed. Findings were visualized using concept mapping and ArcGIS Pro mapping. Twenty-three of the 58 (39.6%) responding organizations participated in a summer feeding program. Transportation of youth to a feeding site was the most salient challenge. Spatial analyses suggest that communities with the greatest economic needs are underserved by recreation providers in this study sample. Recreation providers are important community-based intermediaries between federal, state, and local food suppliers and youth/families in need, with food distribution via recreation providers occurring through diverse youth program mechanisms (i.e., camp sessions, parks, recreation centers, and after school program sites). However, more recreation providers can be engaged as summer feeding sponsors or sites. Future research examining summertime food insecurity following the onset of COVID-19 as well as the ways in which summer feeding program recipients are engaging with recreation providers is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent involvement provides one lens through which the emotional, physical, and financial effects of youth sports may be understood. To examine parent involvement in the context of an emerging alternative youth sport, four focus groups were conducted with 27 parents of youth athletes involved in indoor competition climbing. Constructed themes, affirmed through a synthesized member-checking process, highlighted characteristics of parent involvement in indoor competition climbing and factors influencing youth and parent exposure to, and ongoing engagement in, the sport. Key findings highlight types of parent involvement (i.e., logistical and financial support, volunteerism, excessive involvement), facilitators of parent involvement (i.e., sense of parent community), and constraints to parent involvement (i.e., financial expense, travel). Future research is suggested to better understand the negotiation of distance constraints, parent education and support programs, and the expression of overparenting behaviors within indoor competition climbing settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth development has become a mainstay within recreation and leisure studies. Leisure scholars continue to provide insight around two distinct ideas. First, the positive youth development (PYD) process is examined by exploring how program structures, adult relationships, and peer interactions impact youth outcomes. Second, attention is given to specific recreation settings such as community recreation centers, day and residential camps, and sports programs. Despite these gains in knowledge, there remains a setting that has been unexplored in the recreation and leisure literature, faith-based settings. Throughout the United States of America, faith-based programs have and continue to provide a range of programs and services that serve the needs of communities, families, and most specifically teenagers. Larger faith-based organizations provide paid staff members, dedicated spaces, and a host of other resources to support the teens of their organization and local communities. Smaller organizations find meaningful ways to provide programs to their youth as well. Similar to summer camps, after-school programs, and teen programs, faith-based programs offer caring adults, structured activities, and identifiable outcomes that promote the positive development of teens. Beyond the services provided by faith-based organizations, there's the potential of these organizations making a positive contribution to the development of youth. Within the larger discipline of adolescent development, religiosity and spirituality are recognized as important influences on the development of youth. Although they are similar in structure and design to other youth serving agencies and there's evidence that involvement with faith-based organizations are associated with positive outcomes in youth, faith-based youth programs lack the comparable literature base necessary to inform practice. The goal of this manuscript is to offer a clear argument for the inclusion of faith-based organizations in the discussion of youth development within the context of the recreation and leisure literature. Examples of the faith-based settings are leisure and recreation providers and potential youth development settings will also be provided. An overview of the literature around religion and youth will be offered along with a list of questions that remain unanswered. Finally, a call to action will be suggested with questions the field may consider in order to enhance our understanding of the positive youth development process. This manuscript highlights faith-based organizations through the lens of the positive youth development framework to spark thought, collaboration, and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the development and validation of a measure of overparenting (OP) within a common youth leisure context, residential summer camp. A sample of 1140 parents (primarily mothers (89%)) of campers from 18 residential camps completed an online questionnaire pertaining to behaviours commonly associated with OP including parental support, control, and parental anxieties associated with nature and people in nature. The results of the multi-phase confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the measure indicated convergent and discriminant validity of the finalized measure. Additionally, the modifications generated from the multi-phase CFA process provided preliminary evidence of an additional component of OP, excessive parental problem solving, and suggested the need for more investigation of the multiple dimensions of parental behaviour and beliefs that may contribute to OP in leisure settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children are exposed to head injury throughout the year, specifically during the active summer months. Protocols for managing concussions at summer camps are varied, and the management of concussions in this setting has yet to be evaluated. Our objective was to characterize the patterns of concussion management among summer camp providers via a cross-sectional survey of clinicians. Of the 108 participants, 46% reported a protocol was used to treat concussion in their camp setting, 49% reported comfort in treating concussion at camp, 44% reported they would either send a child home or to a hospital immediately following the injury, and 85% reported they would be likely to use a standardized guideline. The strategies used by surveyed providers may be unnecessarily conservative in the management of concussions, and may also result in an over-utilization of health care services. These results provide a catalyst to create a standardized guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]