Providing Physical Fitness Programs to At-Risk Youth

Physical fitness programs can meet many needs of at-risk youth. The application of structured physical training programs has been shown to positively affect many risk factors for serious problem behaviors of at-risk youth, such as increased self-esteem, increased well-being, increased acquisition of “life skills” like goal-setting and planning, increased values development, and lowered depression and anxiety. In turn, fitness programs have positively affected at-risk youth problem behaviors such as lowered substance abuse and criminal behavior. This article discusses the needs of at-risk youth, a rationale for the use of structured physical fitness programming as a vehicle to help at-risk youth, and guidelines for the application of structured physical training programs with this population. Those guidelines will cover: (a) recommended program components, (b) leadership factors, (c) organizational factors, and (d) program delivery factors.