It’s all relative: examining the influence of social identity on sport-based youth development

Social identity theory provides a framework for understanding how identities tied to sport-based youth development programs facilitate positive youth development (PYD). A common assumption guiding youth sport policy and practice is that the social identities formed around sport-based youth development programs are more salient for youth with limited social support, yet this relationship has not been empirically examined. Using a repeated measures research design, the current study examined the influence of program-based social identity on PYD indicators and tested if this association varied across youth with different levels of social support. Latent profile analysis was employed to identify sub-groups based on key social support domains (i.e. family, peers, coaches). The identified subgroups were then integrated into a repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance, followed up by univariate and regression analyses. Findings reveal that the impact of program-based social identity on the change in PYD indicators was stronger for youth with limited support from family and peers. However, youth with the strongest support in all domains displayed the strongest indicators of PYD over the program season. The results inform a discussion of theoretical implications related to the role of program-based social identity in PYD and highlight managerial recommendations of sport-based youth development program design and management.