Social Sport Club and Youth Sport Expectations: Personal and Social Determinants in Contrasting Ecologies of Practice

This study aimed at determining how environmental practices and significant others alongside operate in sport experiences. Recent research brought evidences that different ecologies of practice produce personal outcomes for the athletes who engage in competitive settings for long periods of time. The of the study was to explore how significant others perceive football sport environment in an and socially underserved milieu, to clarify the effects of sport engagement and to highlight the that can optimize the positive influences associated with sport participation. Field diary, document and semi-structured interviews were conducted to 12 significant others with an active role in the , participant observation along with field diary were also completed during this longitudinal study in the 2010/2011 sport season. Significant others displayed an unexpected sense of community in the social club they perceive as being strong influences on athlete’s perceptions of the environment and motivation . Despite the conditions, adults in social clubs see sport as having an important social positive role overall convictions about the importance of sport practice for underserved youth and the more study of reality in these environments.