The Role of Sports and Physical Activity in Fostering Growth, Resilience, and Identity Formation Among Youth

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted role of sports and physical activity in fostering growth, resilience, and identity formation among youth. The intersection of physical activity and youth development represents a critical area of research spanning multiple disciplines, including physiology, psychology, sociology, and education.

The primary focus of this Special Issue is to examine the diverse pathways through which sports and physical activity contribute to positive youth development, assessing various dimensions of youth engagement with sports and physical activity, including active participation, spectatorship, structured intervention programs, and sports-based rehabilitation and therapeutic interventions. We hope to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these activities serve as vehicles for building resilience, shaping identity, and promoting overall well-being among young people.

This Special Issue will supplement the existing literature by collating interdisciplinary perspectives on youth development through sports and physical activity. While previous research has often examined these topics through single disciplinary lenses, this collection will provide a more holistic view that integrates findings across multiple fields. In particular, this Special Issue will help us to identify the ways in which sports-based interventions can be designed and implemented to maximize positive outcomes for diverse youth populations, including those facing physical, emotional, or social challenges.

Potential topics include (but are not limited to) sports intervention programs; physical activity in special education settings; the role of sports participation and spectatorship in identity formation; health-related benefits of youth sports; building resilience through athletic participation; sports-based rehabilitation and therapeutic approaches; adaptive sports for youth with disabilities; and the sociological implications of youth sports engagement.

Please see below for a list of potential topics (other relevant topics will also be considered):

• Sports intervention programs for at-risk youth.
• Physical activity in special education settings.
• The role of sports participation and spectatorship in identity formation.
• Health-related benefits of youth sports participation.
• Building resilience through athletic participation.
• Sports-based rehabilitation and therapeutic approaches.
• Adaptive sports for youth with disabilities.
• The sociological implications of youth sports engagement.
• The emotional aftermath of sports injuries and recovery narratives.
• Coaching relationships and their role in shaping psychological safety and identity.

By showcasing diverse voices and perspectives, this Special Issue aims not only to generate new empirical insights but also to advance the conceptual tools available to educators, psychologists, coaches, and policymakers. In doing so, it offers a richer, more nuanced understanding of how sport and physical activity can serve as powerful catalysts for developmental change in young people.

Contributions must fit within one of the three categories of papers (article, conceptual paper, or review) acecepted by the journal and address the topic of the Special Issue.

Dr. Orr Levental
Dr. Dalit Lev Arey
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• youth development
• sports psychology
• physical activity
• resilience
• identity formation
• sports intervention
• youth sports
• physical education
• athletic participation
• sports sociology
• adaptive sports
• sports-based rehabilitation
• therapeutic interventions