Can sport promote social inclusion?

Sport! OP! Opportunities for inclusion of vulnerable youth through sport Can sport promote social inclusion?

There is broad consensus that physical activity and sport are a valuable support for personal and social development. Moreover, the European Commission (n.d.) considers that sport promotes tolerance, solidarity and social inclusion, giving groups at risk of exclusion the possibility to interact with other social groups. In addition, taking part in sport can facilitate the development of social and life skills, generating improved individual and collective well-being.

The factors to take into consideration to ensure that sport promotes the desired social inclusion can be classified into three key priorities: participation, equal opportunities and the educational potential of sport. Participation entails getting involved and making effort to achieve common goals. Collectively, this participation can certainly create the bonds and connections required for living in a community. It must also be active participation in terms of making decisions and evaluating proposals. Moreover, access to sport is not always equal. Striving to ensure equal opportunities for taking part in sport by closing the gender gap, for instance, will prove to be essential to make progress along the road towards inclusion (European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, 2022). Lastly, particular attention must be paid to activities that enable us to exploit the true educational potential of sport, which we will analyse in the following sections.