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Student Name: Mr Andrew G. Thuo Student Number: 206028636

EDS504: Guided Research Report

Title: Youth Development through Basketball in Nelson Mandela Bay

Supervisor: Mr Patrick Brennan

10 April 2019

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH BASKETBALL IN NELSON MANDELA BAY

Andrew G. Thuo

Student Number: 206028636

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Development Studies (Coursework) in the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences at the Nelson Mandela University

2018

Supervisor: Mr Patrick Brennan

DECLARATION BY STUDENT

NAME: Andrew G. Thuo

STUDENT NUMBER: 206028636

QUALIFICATION: MA Development Studies (Coursework)

TITLE OF PROJECT: Youth Development through Basketball in Nelson Mandela Bay

DECLARATION:

In accordance with Rule G4.6.3 I hereby declare that the above-mentioned thesis is my own work and that it has not been submitted for assessment to another University or another qualification.

SIGNATURE:

DATE: 14 December 2018

PERMISSION TO SUBMIT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you God for seeing me through this battle and all the battles to come.

Mama dearest you have been my rock, my friend, my critic, my joy and everything I needed you to be when I needed it. I can never thank you enough.

Papa, thank you for setting the example of perseverance that you still set today. For loving me like only a father can. I love, honour and respect you.

Ghost, Kiboi and Thuita, my band of brothers. I wouldn’t choose any other brothers if I had to. I love us and our family and all the places we will go.

To my DDS family, wow guys, I made it. Touch and go there for a second but I made it. Thank you all for the awkward but necessary conversations. Thank you for pushing me to the finish line, I’ll take it from here.

To my numerous but necessary support groups, The Manliness Guard Dogs, The Vibranium Brothers, The Homies, The Fry Sqwad & The Fellowship of the Spark. Thank you all for your collective and individual support.

To Patrick Brennan my supervisor, I don’t know how you did it but you did it and I am forever grateful.

Special mention to Samson, Denning, Sakhie, Wanjiku, Jonathan, Goodness, and Lauren I could not have done this without you.

To my love Nondwe for walking with me...let’s keep walking.

iii

ABSTRACT

Limited research exists, both internationally and in the South African context, on the use of basketball as tool for youth development through sport. In almost all sport- based youth development programs, the desired sport is football and occasionally rugby. Developing the youth is crucial for the development of a nation and the United Nations has highlighted the progress sport has had as a development tool over the past 20 years. South Africa has recently received international acclaim by becoming the focal point of the National Basketball Associations (NBA) presence in Africa by hosting the last three NBA Africa games. South Africa’s Eastern Cape province was the home of elite basketball in the early eighties and is no stranger to the sport of basketball. The study aimed to explore the possibility of using basketball as a tool for youth development in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape.

The study employed a mixed methods research approach that was explorative, descriptive and contextual in design. The empirical data was collected by means of a questionnaire distributed to target basketball players in the Nelson Mandela Bay area. While the data analysis and literature favoured basketball as a suitable tool to be used in sport-based youth development programs, there were limitations with respect to the number of female participants in the study. It was recommended that further research be considered within this field of study and on a wider scale, in an effort to expand the knowledge base on youth development through basketball across South Africa.

TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION BY STUDENT ...... i PERMISSION TO SUBMIT ...... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... iii ABSTRACT ...... iv CHAPTER ONE ...... 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Problem Statement ...... 2 1.2 Research Questions, Aim and Objectives...... 3 1.2.1 Primary Research Question ...... 3 1.2.2 Secondary Research Questions ...... 3 1.3 Aim and Objectives ...... 3 1.4 Research Design and Methodology ...... 3 1.5 Population and Sampling Processes ...... 4 1.6 Delimitating the Research ...... 4 1.7 Ethical Considerations ...... 5 1.8 Structure of the Study ...... 5 CHAPTER TWO ...... 7 LITERATURE REVIEW ON SPORT AND DEVELOPMENT ...... 7 2.1 Youth Development: a Global Perspective ...... 7 2.2 Youth and the Global Economy ...... 8 2.3 Youth Development: An African Perspective ...... 9 2.4 Youth Development: a South African Perspective ...... 11 2.5 The Role of Sport in Education ...... 13 2.6 Physical Education: the South African Context ...... 13 2.7 Sport for Development ...... 15 2.8 Sport-based Youth Development Programs ...... 16 2.9 Basketball as a Sport for Development ...... 17 2.10 Summary ...... 17 CHAPTER THREE ...... 19 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...... 19 3.1 Research Design ...... 19 3.2 Data Collection Methods and Tools ...... 20 3.3 Population and Sampling Process ...... 21 3.4 Data Analysis ...... 21 3.5 Ethical Considerations ...... 22 3.6 Summary ...... 22

CHAPTER FOUR ...... 23 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ...... 23 4.1 Coding and Themes ...... 23 4.2 Theme 1: Social Impact ...... 25 4.2.1 Player Impact ...... 25 4.2.2 Interpretation ...... 26 4.3 Theme 2: Health and Wellbeing ...... 28 4.3.1 Coaches, Sports Managers and Sport Directors ...... 28 4.3.2 Players ...... 29 4.3.3 Interpretation ...... 30 4.4 Theme 3: Academic Impact ...... 30 4.4.1 Players ...... 31 4.4.2 Interpretation ...... 31 4.5 Emerging Themes ...... 32 4.5.1 Financial Opportunities ...... 32 4.5.2 Role Models and Leadership Roles ...... 33 4.5.3 Interpretation ...... 33 4.6 Conclusion ...... 34 CHAPTER FIVE ...... 35 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 35 5.1 Summary of findings ...... 35 5.2 Summary of Themes and Emerging Themes ...... 36 5.2.1 Theme 1: Social Impact ...... 36 5.2.2 Theme 2: Health and Wellbeing ...... 36 5.2.3 Theme 3: Academic Impact ...... 37 5.2.4 Emerging Themes ...... 37 5.3 Limitations of the Study ...... 37 5.4 Conclusion ...... 38 REFERENCES ...... 39 APPENDIX A: ETHICS FORM ...... 45 APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW/QUESTIONNAIRE SCHEDULE/GUIDE ...... 47 APPENDIX C: TURNITIN REPORT SUMMARY ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. APPENDIX D: LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ...... 53

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Youth Development, as defined by the Commonwealth Secretariat is concerned with the “enhancing the status of young people, empowering them to build on their competencies and capabilities for life” (Commonwealth, 2016). It encompasses the enabling of young people to contribute and benefit from a politically stable, economically viable, and legally supportive society, ensuring their full participation as active citizens in their countries. In essence, an empowered youth is a key pillar to the success and development of a nation (World Bank, 2002:5). When the youth are productive members of society, the nation is generally more geared towards harnessing their talents and skills in creative and effective ways in order to benefit the larger community.

In the fairly recent past, one of the emerging trends globally is the practice of sports as a means to facilitate development on multiple levels. The practice of sports as a tool for development has applications socially, as well as economically, on a micro and macro levels (Black, 2010: 121). The application of sport in this regard was acknowledged globally when the United Nations acquired it as a strategy in achieving its Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), fortifying education, public health, community safety, social cohesion, creating awareness for disadvantaged members of the community and addressing social ills, including mental ill-health, xenophobia, and racism (Kidd, 2008: 373).

Nelson Mandela Bay is host to a number of sporting codes. One of its younger sports that has gained recognition in recent years is basketball. The Nelson Mandela Bay Basketball Association was established in 1987 and is a district sports association that caters to basketball in the Nelson Mandela Bay district of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The primary directive of the association is to provide and run a basketball league in the district. It has done so for a number of youth with the unique appeal of attracting youth from different nationalities. This research set out to gain a greater understanding of the potential use of basketball as a tool for youth development in Nelson Mandela Bay.

1.1 Problem Statement

The youth face a number of challenges in contemporary society, including increasing dropout rates at schools due to academic failure, accompanied by the social issues that are predominant amongst low income families. This has been noted by the South African Government and various initiatives have been implemented to combat academic failure as a result. The youth are also the prime target of gangsterism, which is both a local and international issue. The allure of crime for the youth stems from a myriad of factors including esteem, companionship, lack of community and identity issues, as described by Owen and Greeff (2015:13-18).

Despite the increased multimedia exposure of sports over the last two decades, global participation in sport has decreased significantly in a number of developed and developing nations. Notable examples include England, where national sport engagement has steadily decreased from 48 percent to 46 percent to 43 percent from 1996 to 2002. In North America, youth engagement in sport fell by 14 percent in 12 years (Lera-Lόpez & Rapún-Gárate 2011:168). South Africa is experiencing a similar trend in sport participation. Sport participation plays a key role for the youth in any country and a decline is detrimental to healthy youth development.

The use of sport as a tool for development is still a growing concept and programmes geared towards personal and social development of youth are not always well utilised or implemented (Sport for Social Change Network, 2011: 2). Not only is there room to grow into utilising sport correctly, but also in which sports can be used and how. While research has been conducted on the use of rugby and football as tools for development in Nelson Mandela Bay, no studies could be found on the use of basketball as a development tool. Nelson Mandela Bay has a significant basketball heritage spanning back almost 30 years. Basketball was once a potent part of the sports backdrop of South Africa and, in the last five years, the country has gained international recognition as the host of the National Basketball Association’s Africa Games in Johannesburg (Means, 2007: 35-45).

1.2 Research Questions, Aim and Objectives

From the problem statement above, the primary and secondary research questions were derived.

1.2.1 Primary Research Question

The primary research question for this study was:

Can basketball be used as a tool for youth development in Nelson Mandela Bay?

1.2.2 Secondary Research Questions

The sub-questions for this study were:

 What are the social impacts of playing basketball on the youth of Nelson Mandela Bay?  What outcomes can be achieved through basketball-based youth development programmes?

1.3 Aim and Objectives

The aim of this research was to determine the usefulness of basketball in youth for development through sport.

The objectives for this study were:

 To explore the social impacts of playing basketball on the youth of Nelson Mandela Bay; and  To consider what outcomes could be achieved through basketball-based youth development programmes.

1.4 Research Design and Methodology

According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010:20), the research design “describes the procedures for conducting the study, including when, from whom, and under what conditions the data will be obtained.” It is imperative that the researcher pursue means to obtain the most valid and credible data to analyse and ultimately answer the research questions.

This researcher used a mixed method research approach, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods throughout the course of the research. The complexity of the topic required the researcher to view the situation from both perspectives. Thomas (2003:1) states that qualitative methods “involve a researcher describing kinds of characteristics of people and events” without emphasis on comparing or measuring them. A qualitative approach allows the researcher to capture intimate details about the respondents’ growth and development. On the other hand, quantitative methods focus on capturing data that are measurable and exact. This provides objectivity, which will help ensure that valid conclusions are developed. Mixed method approaches, by their more comprehensive nature, often result in a more complete investigation (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010: 25).

1.5 Population and Sampling Processes

The Nelson Mandela Bay Basketball Association (NMBBA) is the designated government body responsible for basketball in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB). They report to Basketball South Africa (BSA), which is a member of the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) which is the International Governing Body of Basketball. Their members made up the majority of the participants for this study. The minority is made up of the social groups of basketball players who do not subscribe to formal basketball organisations but participate in basketball events in the region. All participants in the study were residents of Nelson Mandela Bay.

The participants fall into two categories. The first is the youth of Nelson Mandela Bay involved in basketball mentioned above: men and women between the ages of 18 and 35 who are actively or passively involved in basketball in NMB. The second group are individuals directly involved in the facilitation of basketball in the region: administrators, coaches, managers, coordinators and directors.

1.6 Delimitating the Research

There are a number of factors that contribute to youth development and their impact varies from participant to participant. A review of these issues was not covered in depth as they were outside the range of scope for this study. The research instead made use of the data obtained from basketball players and agents of basketball in NMB and members of the NMBBA. At the time of the study, there were approximately 70 active

4 members of the NMBBA and 15 administrators. The outcome from this study would determine whether viability of basketball in sports in development in NMB would be viable in other regions.

1.7 Ethical Considerations

This study followed the ethics process as set out by Nelson Mandela University, whereby relevant forms were necessary to consider and sign in order to move forward with administering the research. Following this, permission was obtained from the Nelson Mandela Bay Basketball Programme Director to interview members of the association. The participants and respondents were assured that the information obtained would be treated as confidential and that the results would be used for research purposes only. The participants were informed that their names were not needed and therefore their responses to the questionnaire would be anonymous.

1.8 Structure of the Study

This research report has been divided into five chapters.

Chapter One has provided an introduction and backdrop for the research, including the critical questions and primary purpose of the study.

Chapter Two provides a literature review which outlines the fundamental concepts and literature to support the relevance of the study: sport as a tool for development, the current state of the youth, locally and internationally, and factors affecting their development are considered.

Chapter Three describes the methodology of the study, elaborating on each step of the research process.

Chapter Four presents the findings from the data collection and analyses the data against the backdrop of the relevant literature.

Chapter Five concludes the study, providing relevant recommendations and proposals for further studies.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW ON SPORT AND DEVELOPMENT

This chapter explores the latest and most relevant research regarding sport and youth development in South Africa. The literature review will equip the reader with a foundation in sport and development and the role of physical education in schools and summarises current trends in the field. The external effects of sports programmes on the community will also be reviewed in this section. The researcher did not only focus on South African examples but also took a number of international cases in countries with both similar and contrasting economic backgrounds into consideration.

The first part of this chapter looks at development, sport and education and touches briefly on the links between the three. It then gives an overview of the role of sport in education, the role of sport in society, and the role of sport in development. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of factors besides sport that affect the youth, including, but not limited to, economic background, race and ethnicity.

2.1 Youth Development: a Global Perspective

The youth can be grouped statistically into two groups: those between the ages of 10 and 29 and those between 15 and 24. However, youth is more of a life stage than a finite number. It is characterised by the transitional developmental period between childhood and adulthood and this is subject to both culture and country (Commonwealth, 2016). Youth Development is a government initiative to equip and enable young men and women with the skills and mindsets to grow the future of their societies (Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa, 2002). Youth Development is a strategy applied over a period of time to achieve visions, principles, aims and goals geared towards the positive growth of young people. With a global population approaching seven and a half billion, where over half the population is between the ages of 15 and 24 (a United Nations age category), the current youth are the world’s largest recorded number. The current youth generation has a longer time spent in school and weds at a later stage than previous generations. They also start families much later on in life. The youth have been responsible for significant change in recent history, for example through the global Occupy Wall Street Movement in 2011, which, according to a survey by Baruch College School of Public Affairs, published in

October, two-thirds of the protestors were under the age of 35. Closer to home, South African university students led a nationwide campaign from 2015 to put a halt to increased tuition fees.

A significant portion of Africa’s population is represented by the youth. Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa alone have approximately 40 percent of the population under the age of fifteen. A further 70 percent in these regions are under the age of thirty. Sub-Saharan Africa is going through a transitional period indicated by a decrease in the population growth rate. According to USAID, this is the crucial period in time where investment in youth education, youth health, youth employment and livelihood creation will yield productive adult workers today and in the near future.

2.2 Youth and the Global Economy

Global statistics do not paint a pretty economic picture for the world’s youth. Estimates from the International Labour Organization (International Labour Office, 2018: 13) show that almost one hundred million of the world’s youth are unemployed. In order to counter this level of unemployment, one billion new employment posts must be created. NEET (OECD: 2018: 68) looks at the portion of young people who are not employed and not in training or education as a ratio to the total number of young people in the given age category. It generally looks at youth inactivity and, according to ILO data for twenty-four developing economies, 12 percent and 24 percent of young men and women fall into this NEET bracket. These results are credited to a number of reasons, including ill preparedness for the labour market, lack of job experience, inaccessibility to professional networks and lack of training for labour markets. The youth have also been adversely affected by the economic crisis and a recovering economy. The job market in developing economies has been informal and short term with low job security and minimal benefits. This does not allow the youth to form concrete careers or grow.

It is interesting to note that, for a number of developing economies, agriculture is still the primary source of income for the economy, accounting for the majority of the labour force. This is not reflected in the training and education policies of these countries. Moreover, the youth in these economies are thirty three percent less likely to have

8 bank accounts and are subsequently not informed on proper credit practices. Financial literacy and supply side job creation are key to cull unemployment.

2.3 Youth Development: An African Perspective

Africa is the most youthful continent, with almost 70 percent of the population being 30 years of age or younger. The female population is slighter larger than the male population at approximately 55 percent. A significant number of Africa’s people are under the age of 15 and this translates to an expected growth in its youth size. This is contrary to the rest of the world where the youth population is slowly declining. Africa is susceptible to armed conflict, significant economic loss, and political instability if the youth are not properly catered for. A number of African countries have seen youth in revolt due to legitimate grievances, such as unemployment and lack of access to education.

Data collected in 2011 suggest that the absolute size of Africa’s youth is 200 million. This means that Africa’s youth make up 20 percent of the continent’s population of 1 billion. according to a 2011 global census. According to the African Youth Report (UNECA, 2016:5), Africa went through a significant youth bulge from 1990 to 2010, as illustrated in the table below.

Figure 2.1: Youth Population in Africa and the Rest of the World

Source: African Youth Report (UNECA, 2011)

The distribution of Africa’s youth bulge varies regionally. North Africa has a much larger youth population growth than Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the population growth rate is expected to decline in the next fifteen years in North Africa. The opposite is true for South African, where the youth age category is expected to continue to grow for the next thirty-five years. This also reflects within countries where Tunisia and Morocco have population size is expected to fall by 2030 and countries like Kenya and Uganda population size will continue to grow.

With respect to educational attainment, the youth of Africa are more educated now than the population as a whole. The average number of education years for Africans as a whole is 2.4 years, while that of Africa’s youth is 3.69. Africa can boast, according to Gyimah-Brempong and Ondiege (2011), as they show that African countries have more than doubled enrolment in the last ten years. The education attainment distribution varies within Africa, with Morocco and Tunisia having almost no gender gap in terms of education attainment, while the gender gap is significant in the rest of Africa. Beyond the inequality in education attainment of the sexes, there is also the matter of the quality of education being sub-standard and/or irrelevant in parts of Africa. This ultimately impacts on peoples’ employment opportunities.

2.4 Youth Development: a South African Perspective

When classifying South Africa’s youth, we turn to the South African National Youth Development Policy and the National Youth Commission (National Youth Policy, 2015: 3). These two documents define the youth as men and women in the age group of 15 to 35 years of age. In South Africa, specific policies apply to different age groups. South Africa’s youth, like that of the rest of Africa, struggles with high levels of unemployment. The figure below from Statistics South Africa shows the trend in South Africa’s youth being employed, unemployed and economically inactive.

Figure 2.2: Employed, Unemployed, Not Economically Active

Source: Stats SA Labour Force Surveys (Stats SA, 2015)

The figure shows high numbers of youth that are unemployed and there is a steady increase in the number of inactive youth. Even as the economy grows, the unemployment rate continues to remain fairly high.

The South African economy is also characterised by high dropout rates and poor skill levels. Although there has been an increase in participation and attendance levels in school, the effect has been offset by lack of adequate education in the schools. This has a knock-on effect whereby the poor output from schools yields a low number of skilled graduates. There are a limited number of opportunities for post graduate studies for South Africans and the poor education does not equip students for the rigours of the workplace. A ripple effect of poor education and high dropout rates is that large numbers of young people receive no formal form of training or education.

According to Statistics South Africa Labour Force, 60 percent of unemployed youth below 35 years of age have never worked before. This will affect the South African economy if no direct measures are put in place to accommodate these members of the economy.

When considering the youth, particular consideration has to be paid to their state of health. Young people in South Africa have challenges relating to sexual conduct and reproductive health. The Medical Research Council in conjunction with the Department of Health and Education (DHE) conducted a study of learners in grades 8 to 11. They found that 36 percent of learners reported having had sex and 14 percent had engaged in sexual activity before the age 14. The study goes on to reveal that just under 15 percent had more than one partner before the age of sixteen.

With teenage sex comes teenage pregnancy and inadequate access to health facilities results in high maternal death rates. Also, HIV rates remain quite high. The D.O.H. reports that 60 percent of maternal deaths could have been avoided, as the leading cause is poor quality of care during antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods. Monitoring of patients was found not to have been done properly and formal procedures were not adhered to when abnormalities were faced. High teenage pregnancy rates and inadequate medical care play a central role in determining the future of the youth.

The youth have always experimented with drugs and alcohol and abuse of the two has led to high levels of violence and death. The Western Cape notes the highest levels of alcohol use at just over of 46 percent while the Free State has the lowest number of consumers at approximately 20 percent. About 28 percent of South Africa’s learners have engaged in smoking cigarettes and 32 percent drink alcohol, as revealed by a study by Risk Behaviour Surveillance. The same unit reported that, collectively, 36 percent of the youth in South Africa have experimented with cocaine, mandrax, marijuana or crystal meth.

It is well-known that sport and cultural activities can be a source of national pride and unity. They can also provide opportunities for creating employment. Sporting and cultural activities often involve mass participation, which creates numerous employment opportunities. South Africa is rich in both cultural and sport-related

12 activities and there are numerous potential employment possibilities for the youth of the country.

2.5 The Role of Sport in Education

Physical education can provide learners with skills, capabilities, values and knowledge, together with the interest in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. (Ekholm, 2013: 1(2). The various activities involved in physical education develop motor skills and promote physical fitness, as well as the ability to understand different concepts, rules and strategies (UNESCO; 2013)

Academic performance involves various areas of achievement and failure in a learner’s academic career, which constantly needs to be evaluated in order to foster improvement and development of the learning process (Malone, 2013: 109). Academic results provide a framework for success in school and refer to a constant standard to which all learners are held. Academic performance in school is evaluated in a number of ways. For regular assessment, learners demonstrate their knowledge by taking written and oral tests, performing presentations, turning in homework and participating in class activities and discussions, which are evaluated by teachers in the form of letter or number grades and side notes, to describe how well a student has done (Lidner, 174–186).

The findings of Baley and Field (1976: 23) confirmed that more research was needed to establish the relationship between motor skills, physical fitness, health, and academic ability. The researchers also believed that more research was needed to establish whether there is a link between underachievement and poor motor performances of learners in schools. According to them (1976: 23), learners with high levels of physical fitness and health have greater stamina, which is often necessary for academic achievement.

2.6 Physical Education: the South African Context

In the past, physical education amongst South African schools was a subject offered in its entirety within the South African school curriculum. This was an undertaking by the Ministry of Education in 1996 as part of a five-year plan, “The Trisano Programme”, to transform the education system to reflect the post-apartheid policies of the new

South Africa. The system catered equally for all citizens. (Department of Education 2001 – 2002). During this period, a global audit took place on the state and status of physical education (PE) worldwide. The audit addressed resources, PE and curriculum issues, and time allocation for PE, among other key areas. According to the audit, in 1999 PE as a school subject was under threat worldwide. (Hardman and Marshall, 2001). The regional round-up showed varying results in Africa. While some African nations, such as Nigeria and Kenya, offered PE as an examinable and serious subject respectively (Toriola 2005), this was not the case in South Africa, where “physical education as a school subject no longer exists but it is taught indirectly as a small component of the learning area “Life Orientation” along with health promotion, personal and social development, and orientation to the world of work foci in grades R-9” (Van Deventer, 2005).

The World Health Organization reported in 2006 that besides the shortage of facilities, a lack of trained professionals is a reoccurring theme when discussing the lack of PE in Africa. Benin, Botswana and Uganda have been sighted as countries that actively re-appropriate funding from PE to other subjects, no matter the amount. The perception in these countries is that PE is “non-educational, [and a] non-productive use of time”. The case against PE in schools takes a different turn in Botswana and Malawi, where PE is somewhat optional in schools. What makes matters worse is the lack of basic amenities such as changing rooms. (WHO, 2006)

This was rolled out in 2005 as part of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS), which integrated physical education into the learning area of Life Orientation in the intermediate phase (Rault-Smith, 2004). When considering the factors that led to the low priority of PE, three main contributing factors were identified. During the transitional period, there were a number of uneducated teachers with a Bantu Education background running the PE programmes in former black schools. With their having no previous experience or adequate training, the subject was not catered to properly. In addition, many schools lacked the infrastructure to support PE programmes. Finally, the non-examination status of physical education dropped it to the bottom of the priority list which further reduced the resources provided (Walter, 1994; George, 1995; Van Deventer, 1999). This is echoed by Hardman and Marshall who say that the lack of designated physical education teachers leads to a general

14 teacher taking on the responsibility of teaching Life Orientation. This could lead to general Life Orientation being the primary concern of the teacher and the PE aspect of it becoming an afterthought.

The researcher believes that this has unfortunately lead to many educators viewing physical education as an extracurricular activity that is not as important as other components of this specific learning area.

2.7 Sport for Development

New research in the field of Development Studies speaks to the effectiveness and ever-expanding ways that sport is being used as a development tool (Black and Darnell, 2011: 371). This requires more input from Development Studies practitioners in their role as researchers to fill the gaps in knowledge about this relatively new development tool.

According to the current literature, at present the three flag bearers of Sports for Development are the Non-for-Profit Organisations such as Grassroots Soccer, Score and AMANDLA EduFootball. The South African Government has increasingly made sport for development a priority in recent years, with a number of initiatives through Sports and Recreation South Africa. The intergovernmental global organisations FIFA, the United Nations and the Commonwealth Secretariat are also champions for sport and development (Black, 2010). Their input has the furthest expanse and they disseminate information that is crucial to establishing this development tool. A notable input to these champions for sport for development are the multinational corporations, such as Nike, who engage in Sport for Social Change in parts of Africa (Burnett, 2013: 4-15.).

There are a number of scholars who have contributed to the area of sports for development or sports for development and peace building. “Bruce Kidd and Peter Donnelly published an extensive literature review of extant SDP knowledge prior to 2007 on behalf of the Sport for Development International Working Group.” (Svensson et al. 36). During the mid-2000’s and early 2010’s, Cronin (2011) submitted a study mapping the research on the impact of sport and development interventions globally.

Comic Relief Review: Mapping the research on the impact of Sport and Development interventions. Manchester: Orla Cronin Research. 2011. More recently however, Langer examined evaluation studies specifically focused on African SDP initiatives. Despite the increase in research in the field of sports for development, clear toolkits for development that consider multiple variables have yet to be formed and applied consistently. In most cases, football is the sport of choice and when it is not, there is a significant change in results. (Svensson et al. 44). This calls for more research to be done in this field and validates the need for the research conducted for this study. The aim of this research was, therefore, to provide an academic perspective and contribute modestly to the limited literature on development through sport (Flores 2008: 7).

2.8 Sport-based Youth Development Programs

The idea behind Youth Development Programs is to have a positive impact on young people. There are a number of different ways in which the youth can be affected in a positive way and, consequently, there are multiple ways to approach positive youth development. Youth Development Programs focus on the younger generation, with particular attention to their social activity and participation and, to a certain extent, cultural activity. From a PYD perspective, when young people have mutually beneficial relationships with people and institutions, they will grow and contribute substantially to the country (Heinze, 2014).

A quality sports-based physical education program has been identified as an important curriculum subject area that can directly influence the development of life skills in children and youth. In recent policy statements, (UNESCO, 2015) highlighted that a quality PYD program plays an integral role in the development of life skills and the prevention of youth violence. This is supported by earlier research that has highlighted the effectiveness of using sport and physical activity as an effective approach to learning life skills, when behavioural changes through the development of life skills are the focus of the program (Ekholm, 2013: 1(2). Learning life skills through sport during adolescence has also been shown to have a long-lasting impact upon individuals well into adulthood (Salas, 1997: 110-127).

2.9 Basketball as a Sport for Development

While the effectiveness of Sports for Development Programs has been, established according to the literature the perennial sport in the majority of cases studied, is football, especially in the African case (Svensson et al. 44). However, there are a few cases where basketball has been used as the primary sport in a youth-based development program.

A study in Senegal was conducted to assess gender equality impacts from a basketball programme. The study examined how participation in a sports-for- development programme in Senegal is associated with the gender equality attitudes of youth and coaches (Meyer et al. 49). The results from the study indicated potential promise for sports-for-development programmes potentially changing gender attitudes within a relatively short amount of time for female youth. Under the limitations of the study, no reference was made to the popularity of the sport in Senegal even though football is a significantly more popular sport. Football was used to administer studies on a much larger scale in the country (Nathan 2013:399).

A similar study was conducted in Guatemala, where basketball was integrated alongside volleyball an effort to develop life skills and prevent youth violence in Guatemala (Mandigo et al. 21: 2018). The results from this study support the importance of embedding sport programs directly in neighbourhoods at high risk of violence (Mandigo et al. 34: 2018). While basketball is not a highly rated sport in Guatemala, tied in with baseball, boxing and American football after football no mention of this was given in the limitations of the study (McGehee, 1992: 132). Despite the lack of popularity of the sport, basketball has been successfully utilised more than once as a tool for development.

2.10 Summary

This chapter has presented an explanation of the youth and its impact on development from both international and South African contexts. It considered sport and its impact on education and society and closed with a discussion on youth development programs involving basketball. In summary, an explanation of the utilisation of the specific theoretical perspectives and lenses are relevant to this research study. The

17 next chapter of this research report will discuss in detail the application of the selected research methodology.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

An overview of the framework for this study was presented in Chapter One. This study would not be conclusive without appropriate investigation. This Chapter describes the research method used, the measuring tools, and the data analysis.

Employing an appropriate research design is necessary to ensure the capturing of reliable data and the development of valid conclusions. A research design is the planned strategy for and structure of the investigation to obtain evidence to answer a research question (McMillan & Schumacher, 1997:33). This includes the procedures to be followed, the type of data to be collected, the characteristics of the sample, and the methodology employed for analysing the data. Choosing an appropriate design is critical to ensuring that the research is carried out in the most effective way possible (Rugg & Petre, 2007:60).

3.1 Research Design

According to Kumar (2011), the main focus in qualitative research is to understand, explain, explore, discover and clarify situations, feelings, perceptions, attitudes, values, beliefs, and the experiences of a group of people. However, quantitative study designs are specific, well structured, have been tested for their validity and reliability, and can be explicitly defined and recognised. This information determined the researcher’s selection of research tools.

The researcher had a mixed methodologies approach, which is a pragmatic combination of qualitative and quantitative research (Flick, 2009: 32). The strength of this study lies in the combination of the two research approaches, and use of both qualitative and quantitative research skills to meet the research goal and objectives. Babbie (2007:88- 89) explains that an exploratory design is appropriate when a researcher examines a new phenomenon about which little is known.

Both inductive as well as deductive reasoning strategies were applied in this research study. Inductive reasoning moves from the particular to the general. In other words, if when a researcher collects enough information without any preconceived notion about

19 their significance and orientation – thus maintaining complete objectivity – inherent relationships pertaining to the general case will emerge to be seen by the alert observer (De Vos et al., 2007:47 and Cohen & Manion, 1997:3)

According to De Vos, Strydom, Fouche and Delport (2007), deductive reasoning is a form of reasoning where two premises are relevant. For instance, the first statement or assumption states the case and the second states the generalisation of which the case is one example. Subsequently, the deductive conclusion is drawn logically, appearing almost self-evident.

3.2 Data Collection Methods and Tools

The data collection method for the qualitative study was semi-standardised interviews. These involved predetermined questions that were posed to the respondents in a systematic and consistent manner (as well as open-ended questions). This method was used for the managerial and administrative respondents.

Notes were made during the interviews, which were also recorded with a voice recorder (with the participants’ permission) in order to preserve everything that was said by the participants for analysis. The researcher also wrote down as much as could be remembered after the interviews as soon as possible and transcribed the experience.

The data collection method for the quantitative research study took the form of questionnaires. These questionnaires were distributed to individual players separately. Players were also asked to complete the questionnaire on their own and to avoid any discussions between players that may affect their responses.

The questionnaire required a personal response from the players and the questionnaire was designed in such a way that the first part (Section A) required relevant personal particulars of the participants (factual items). The second part (Section B) of the questionnaire reflected items of personal sports interest to the respondents. Section C of the questionnaire was used to obtain feedback on the respondents’ perception of the coaches/managers in their experience. The last section (D) evaluated the players, knowledge, reactions, behaviours, beliefs and attitudes.

The researcher also made use of ethnographic observation as a research method. This involved watching the participants’ behaviour and actions throughout the consultation process. Through this method it was possible to uncover problematic experiences and identify areas that may require improvement or change.

3.3 Population and Sampling Process

A sample is defined as a subset of a population (or universe). A population, on the other hand, can be defined as the total group of participants or entities from whom information is required (Wiid & Diggines, 2009: 191).

The sample size amounted to 31 player participants in total, of whom 28 were male and three were female. All the participants were athletes involved in basketball in the Nelson Mandela Bay area, either through the NMBBA or social basketball events. In order for findings to be generalisable, the sample needs to be representative (Welman, Kruger & Mitchell, 2005: 55). The gender variable was removed from the study due to the lack of female athletes participating in the study. This is noted and addressed in the limitations of the study.

3.4 Data Analysis

According to McMillan and Schumacher (1997: 502), the four main objectives of data analysis are discovering and identifying patterns, categorising data, assessing data trustworthiness, and developing a synthesis of themes and concepts.

Qualitative data does not always fit neatly into quantifiable measurements and was therefore organised into categories, patterns and relationships. The qualitative research (the semi-standardised interviews) included questioning techniques that used open-ended questions, multiple choice questions, and ranking questions. The researcher was of the opinion that a variety of questioning techniques would be most beneficial for the qualitative study of this research project, as a variety of responses from the respondents would produce the best feedback. As McMillan and Schumacher (1997:505) note, this strategy requires a high level of synthesis and creative “intellectual craftsmanship” on the part of researchers.

Eventually, during the data collection process, the categories, patterns and themes emerged from the data themselves.

The quantitative research, that involved brief reading and ranking questions in the questionnaires, included questioning techniques that used closed and multiple choice questions. The researcher believed that these specific questioning techniques would make it easier to measure the results and be most beneficial for the quantitative part of the research study as the data from a number of respondents would be easier to analyse.

3.5 Ethical Considerations

In any research involving human respondents, the researcher must ensure that all practices and research procedures are ethical. The participants and respondents were assured that the information obtained would be treated as confidential and that the results will be used for research purposes only. The researcher ensured strict confidentiality throughout the study by omitting all names from the report and ensuring that documents were kept in a safe, secure place.

3.6 Summary

This chapter has described the research procedures for acquiring and then analysing the data. The data were ethically collected and thereafter qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used in order to elicit findings that would address the research problem. Through the data analysis, themes emerged from the findings. The following chapter will present the themes developed from the analysis.

CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

This chapter presents the findings, interpretation and analysis of the data acquired by the researcher. The data collection instrument for this study was questionnaires.

4.1 Coding and Themes

The literature summarised n Chapter Two suggests that, across sporting codes, discovering and participating in one’s desired sport promotes academic success and is advantageous in the later stages of one’s life, contributing to a wholesome outlook on life. The first step towards achieving this is for participants in a sport to discover what element of that sport inspires them. Players will easily engage in activities they have an emotional attachment towards.

With this in mind, the researcher categorised the data into themes. Within each of these themes, categories were developed to provide further clarity.

 The first theme, Social Impact, looks at perceptions of players, coaches, managers and executives regarding the impact basketball has had for them socially.  The second theme focuses on the Physical Impact. The categories of obstacles in the home, parenting, extracurricular activities, role models and mentors, and exposure to careers, were explored in detail. Emphasis was placed on identifying barriers to and opportunities for talent discovery and development.  The third theme is Academic Environment. Categories within this theme are the learning environment, obstacles at school, talent development, and perceptions of the impact of the sport in the environment.

The responses below are taken from the questionnaires with the athletes described in the previous chapter. The responses were transcribed as is without changes to spelling errors or sentence structure to maintain an accurate representation of the data gathered.

Please take note of the coding structure for the data gathered under the methodology described in Chapter 3:

 Players: (P to represent player / Number of Questionnaire / Letter of Player) o Example: (P/2) corresponds to Player 2.  Coach: (C to represent Coach / Number of Coach Interview) o Example: (C/8) corresponds to the Coach from the eighth interview  Sports Manager: (SM)  Sports Director: (SD)

4.2 Theme 1: Social Impact

This section explores the different perceptions the players, coaches, managers and directors have of the social impact of basketball. The data analysis follows a pattern, looking at the feedback from the players, managers and coaches and highlights the key differences in perceptions. Thereafter, the similarities in perceptions will be addressed, followed by a general overview of the particular themes, and notes on any outliers.

4.2.1 Player Impact

Looking at the graph below gives an indication of the social impact basketball has had from the perception of the athletes.

Players: Has playing basketball had an effect on your social life?

Figure 4.1: Players’ Responses

Players Responses Don’t Strongly Disagree Know Don’t Know agree strongly 0% 44% 11% Disagree slightly Disagree 17% strongly

Disagree slightly Somewhat agree

Source: Authors own compilation (2018)

Figure 4.2: Player’s Position on Social Engagement

I play basketball to engage socially with my peers

Don’t Know Disagree strongly Disagree slightly Somewhat agree Strongly agree

20% 0%

48% 16%

16%

Source: Authors own compilation (2018)

A complete list of all tabulated responses is included as an addendum.

Players had a number of responses with respect to the social dynamics questions posed to them, although the researcher noted a trend of racial and cultural diversity responses from players.

As a foreigner I hung out with other foreigners I only made friends with South Africans after playing basketball with them. (P/5/EE)

This was a recurring theme among non-South African basketball players in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.

I learn a lot more about my teammates (non – South African) outside the basketball court. We used to chill quite often as part of team building and hangouts. They were chilled dudes. I think we’re still friends up to now. (P/2/FF)

The same or similar sentiments were shared by the South African interviewees in the study.

4.2.2 Interpretation

The data indicate that a large number of respondents adhere to the positive social impact that engaging in basketball has had on their lives. This corresponds to a study by Woods and Svensson (2017) that associates positive social impact and peace building with sports, including basketball. The answers given in this space were not all as expected. Basketball is not a top tier sport outside the United States of America according to Forbes Africa (2018); however, the social cohesion demonstrated by the players was significant. A possible influence could be the popularisation of the sport due to contemporary pop-culture such as the television shows The AND1 Mixtape and Love and Basketball. The influence of hip hop music and culture that has been evident in Southern Africa for some time now also has a strong association with basketball.

Managers/Directors/Coaches: What have been some of the social impacts this sport has had on your players?

The possible understandings of the term ‘social impact’ were broad and, once the interviewer narrowed down the context of the question, the interviewees were more forthcoming with their responses. They intimated that they had seen their players

26 engage more socially under their watch. They had noted the influence of international students in the respective teams that the players were involved in (SM/1, SM/2, SM/3).

I think players are not aware of the racial and xenophobic obstacles they overcome during basketball (SM/3)

This was a common response from the managers and all the coaches’ responses were in line with the responses from the managers. The directors spoke more to the communal impact the sport has for the players and community (SD/1, SD/2).

For some of the players this is their first time hanging out with players from a different race, country or continent sometimes. (C4)

There was a consensus that there is a gravitation of foreigners from America, Europe, Southern Africa, and East Africa towards basketball in the Nelson Mandela Bay area. This is indicated by the turnout at tournaments and league games. Respondents said that they never lack a significant number of foreigners during the tournaments. Foreigners have tended to make up more than 50 percent of University teams in the area in recent years.

It was noted that some coaches had been players one year earlier. Their responses were influenced by the fact that they had to consider their perspective, both as a fellow player and, more recently, as a coach. Other than this, this were very little variety in the responses from the coaches, managers and directors on this line of questioning. The directors, however, mentioned their lack of personal involvement at ground level but made note of feedback from their organisational structures as well as information from league data and community outreach programs.

The data support the view that sport can be used to create inclusion and not the opposite, as we gather from Chiweshe’s statement (2016:132) that the sport has merged cultures from different international backgrounds without bias.

4.3 Theme 2: Health and Wellbeing

This theme examines the perceptions of the players, coaches, sport managers and sport directors regarding promotion of health and well-being as a result of playing sport. The data in this section were collected both qualitatively and quantitatively and the results are displayed accordingly. There were a number of responses that were shared under this theme; some overlapped with each other while others shared the same point of view. Respondents were asked to agree or disagree with the assertion that sport contributes to health and wellness. Responses are shown in figure 4.3 below. The overwhelming majority (87%) agreed with the assertion:

Figure 4.3: Perception of the health and wellness benefits of sport

Perception of the health and wellness benefits of

sport Don’t Disagree Disagree Know Somewhat strongly slightly agree 0% 7% 6% 21% Don’t Know Disagree strongly Strongly agree Disagree slightly 66% Somewhat agree Strongly agree

Source: Authors own compilation (2018)

4.3.1 Coaches, Sports Managers and Sport Directors

The coaches, sports managers and sports directors all agreed that, in their experience, participation and engagement in basketball and sport as a whole significantly assists with self-discipline amongst their players.

The continuous dedication towards growth as players is also evident in the self- discipline of players. Coaches in particular stood by this point as they are often the first to note improvement or decline in a player’s athletic ability.

The endurance of athletes is a form easily observed by both players and coaches. This concurred with observations held by sports managers especially with athletes that are involved in more than one sport.

A number of players reported instances where they had at some point battled with mild depression and that participating in basketball had assisted them in dealing with their illness. This was reiterated by the coaches and sports managers, who have had to deal with these occurrences on numerous occasions. They noted that this often happened to non-South African students who had not seen their families or returned home periodically.

…having to learn about a teammates depression was difficult but we were happy he was able to come back and play (SM/1)

We aren’t equipped to handle mental health issues, but we were glad he could come to us when he needed help (SM/1)

4.3.2 Players

A significant contribution of organised sport as a whole was the implementation of team work this was noted by the coaches and players alike.

My friends (teammates) and I were the rookies (inexperienced players) so we had to support each other on the court to get more playing time. (P/3)

The ability to concentrate on given tasks on and off the court grew with players, as the carried this out in their day to day to tasks. The players were also able to alleviate pent-up energy that they had not otherwise dispelled in a safe and beneficial way.

It was great to have an outlet from my studies and just get lost in the game for a while (P/15)

Players experienced better physical health and elevated their levels of esteem at a young age. They were better able to engage in society as a result. An externality of consistent exercise is a better posture which was observed by players, coaches and managers alike.

4.3.3 Interpretation

With regard to the physical health and well-being examined by the study, it was evident that the majority of the respondents were either satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the physical health attributes of playing basketball. The majority of the respondents were also of the opinion that only one or two games per week were needed to achieve and attain said attributes. The barriers to the health and fitness included time constraints, space and lack of resources amongst the respondents. The majority of the respondents agreed that playing basketball did have a positive effect on their academic performance while they were learners.

4.4 Theme 3: Academic Impact

This theme looks at the impact the participation basketball has had on the players with respect to their academic careers. The players were asked to retrospectively assess their academic careers at a high school level and/or tertiary level and consider the impact if any of engaging in basketball. Figure 4.4 below shows perceptions of players regarding whether playing basketball was a distraction from their studies. A clear majority of players (64%) disagreed with the assertion.

Figure 4.4: Influence on Academic Life

Did playing basketball distract you from your

studies

Don’t Know Disagree strongly Disagree slightly Somewhat agree Strongly agree

20% 48% 16%

16%

Source: Authors own compilation (2018)

4.4.1 Players

The responses in this category were in line with the data with the literature where respondents favoured sport in uplifting their academic careers. This was the case at tertiary and high school level.

I was in a rely intense high school. This was literally the only outlet we had to balance our books (to cope with his studies). (P/7)

I was in a boarding school and basketball kept us, or me out of trouble. So I guess you could say it helped me with my studies in that way. (P/23)

The literature reports that learning improves when there is physical activity as part of the learners’ routine (Clancy (2006:5). The respondents spoke more towards the external benefits of engaging in basketball in their particular environment.

There was a significant proportion of respondents (INSERT percentage) whose studies were impacted negatively by their participation in basketball. These respondents said that playing basketball at tertiary level required significantly more time and discipline than it did at a high school level.

I did not have the same support structure I did when I was living at home so I couldn’t afford to spend as much time playing basketball and working on my studies. (P/30)

I actually had to drop basketball all together when I was in second year. I couldn’t keep up with all the trips we would ball almost every weekend and most holidays. (P/6)

4.4.2 Interpretation

Overall the players’ experience with basketball and academia shows a positive correlation. The degree of the impact could not be specified from the data collected. The data show that it is not only the physical activity assists with the learning process, but that the social activities that came with engaging in the sport also had a significant constructive impact on the athletes’ academic achievements and abilities. (Sibley & Etnier, 2003) confirm that a small but significant relationship exists between physical activity and cognitive performance in school-aged children

The data also indicate that this effect did not continue at the same level when it came to players’ studies after high school. This can be attributed to the high demands of tertiary education and the similarly high demands of basketball at university level.

4.5 Emerging Themes

The above themes were largely expected, but a few more themes that emerged from the data. These themes, while not as pronounced, still bear weight.

4.5.1 Financial Opportunities

Over one third of respondents gained part-time employment during the duration of their tertiary basketball careers as technical officials and referees. Of these, 33 percent, approximately half continue to officiate at local, regional and international games and tournaments. The Nelson Mandela Bay Basketball Association (NMBBA) offers training to all members of the league to officiate at basketball games. It does this alongside Basketball South Africa (BSA), South Africa’s governing body of Basketball, in an effort to promote and develop the sport in South Africa.

We were frequently short on referees and table officials so it worked out well for the league. We had a lot of complaints from our members about bias referees but this made it less prevalent. SD/1.

I don’t think they paid us enough for the league games honestly sometimes it was just enough for lunch. But at the bigger tournaments it was much better. (P/39)

Not all players in the Nelson Mandela Bay area fall under the jurisdiction of the NMBBA; as a result there have often been a number of players who do not participate in the league but wish to play basketball competitively. Almost 30 percent of respondents in this study personally organised or were critically involved in the organisation of basketball tournaments in the Nelson Mandela Bay. The players generated income primarily via entry fees and profits on food and beverages sold at the events. These tournaments frequently served as advertising platforms for other events that players were a part of and stood to gain money from.

We had a number of 3-on-3 tournaments at Kings Beach…We new the crowd so we would always get players. We always had these back home (Zimbabwe) so we just replicated them here.(P/31).

I enjoyed the International Day Tournaments. I think those were the best. It pulled in a different crowd because all the good players couldn’t play for one team, they had to recruit their people (players of the same nationality) to play for them. (P/25).

Of the thirty-one players interviewed for this study, nine went on to play basketball at either professional or semi-professional level. The Basketball National League (BNL) was founded in 2013, after the previous professional basketball league in South Africa was disbanded in 1996. The League also employed three of the five coaches mentioned in this study.

Playing for the BNL was great for me. I only started playing basketball when I was 21 and now I play on TV and I get paid for it. (P/4).

4.5.2 Role Models and Leadership Roles

The second emerging theme from the research was the impact of leaders and role models in the basketball community. Twenty percent of respondents alluded to a significant positive influence of role models in the basketball community, both on and off the court. The nature of this relationship was either senior players who acted as mentors to the younger players or coaches who acted as role models to the players. From this sample, sixty percent were coaches and player relationships while the forty percent were junior player, senior player relationships.

I’m still in touch with my coach until today. (P/14).

I don’t know if he knew the influence he had on me. It really carried me through a lot until today. I hang on to those principles and teach other players the same things he taught me. (P/7)

4.5.3 Interpretation

While the theme of mentorship is not as pronounced as the main themes, it has a significant social impact of the players in the study. From the data it appears the coaches and senior players have gone above and beyond the requirement for participation in the sport. Studies have shown that a lack of suitable role models is a contributor towards bad behaviour in the youth (Daniels and Adams, 2010:45).

4.6 Conclusion

The findings presented above show that there are a variety of factors that contribute to the social impact that basketball has on the players in Nelson Mandela Bay. In the analysis of the data, a few emerging themes were uncovered. The emerging themes shed new light outside of the defined impacts that sport has on players. The influences on academic performance were expected, but a variation was noted between tertiary and high school level. Income opportunities was a relatively unexpected outcome from the study but notable none the less. The final chapter will look into the data above and provide recommendations where necessary and conclude the study.

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter outlines the core context of this research by providing a summary of the key features of the study such as the objectives and central research question as well as the prominent theories that were consulted. The key themes that emerged through thematic analysis are briefly discussed and followed by an outline of the limitations of this research and the implications for further study.

5.1 Summary of findings

The practice of sport has been recommended as a tool to maintain and improve physical health, stimulate the mind, improve learning and encourage healthy social engagement. (Nthangeni, Haycock & Toriola, 2009: 258). A lack of studies related to basketball was noted throughout the literature in this field. This is understandable since basketball is a secondary sporting code in South Africa and does not have as much presence as other codes. Nevertheless, it is a fast-growing sport with the recent global input of the National Basketball Association (Means, 2007: 35-45). The aim of this research was to discover and develop an understanding of the social impact the sport has on the youth of the Nelson Mandela Bay area.

To make this study possible a few aims were set:

 An assessment of the basketball youth community in the Nelson Mandela Bay area;  An assessment of the impact of sport as a tool for youth development; and  An exploration of the social impact of the sport in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.

The first chapter of this study provided a general perspective on the history of sport as a tool for development from an international and South African point of view. Chapter One went on to elaborate the problem statement and briefly outline the research methodology and its implementation.

Chapter Two considered the relevant literature in the sport for development, community development, youth development and the context of basketball as a sport for development.

Chapter Three provided the core elements of the research methodology. A description of the research methodology and design applied to this study was given. The rationale behind the study, the data collection strategies and coding techniques were discussed at length. Limitations of the study and ethical measures taken were also outlined in this chapter.

Chapter Four reviewed the outcomes from the data collected for the study. The data were related to supporting literature where possible. Coding information and descriptive statistics were included in brief and are supported in the addends to the study. The main research themes constituted the body of this chapter and emerging themes followed to close this chapter.

Chapter Five closes the study with a brief summary of the research findings and recommendations for further study.

5.2 Summary of Themes and Emerging Themes

This section considers the findings fin relation to the main and emerging themes uncovered in Chapter Four.

5.2.1 Theme 1: Social Impact

The findings and the literature indicate a strong link between participation in sport and an individual’s link to community. This is confirmed by Werner (2017:49) who writes that the bond to community that leads to healthy social ties is greater in sport than in other clubs or societies at a university level.

In terms of social dynamics between races and cultures, participation in basketball in the Nelson Mandela Bay area has led to an increase in players’ knowledge of different nationalities and ethnicities and consequently to better social relations. Measurement of this impact is challenging, as Rossi and Ryne (2014) describe, but it is important not to underestimate the impact of smaller scale changes in the bigger community.

5.2.2 Theme 2: Health and Wellbeing

From the data, it emerged that students who participate in sport tend to manage their health and wellbeing better than those who do not. This is the case in the basketball

36 community and the literature describes it in other sporting codes as well. Tsai and Coleman (2007:164) state that students who participate in sport experience fewer social constraints than students who do not participate in sport.

It was noted that the health and wellbeing associated with the sport are only the case when practised consistently and not as a once-off. A recommendation is that sports directors and managersthave a consistent flow of activities to allow for maximum participation in basketball events in the area.

5.2.3 Theme 3: Academic Impact

Students who participate in sport tend to show a stronger ability in the academic environment and are less prone to physical and mental health issues than students who do not (Nthangeni et al. 2009: 259). This ties in with the findings described in Chapter Four above. It is recommended that academic institutions cultivate this and make sport more enticing for their students.

5.2.4 Emerging Themes

An emerging theme identified through the data analysis was how the impact of role models and mentors is important in the personal development of the youth in the Nelson Mandela Bay Area. For those youth seeking to develop sporting ability, there were not enough mentors available to help them. Mentors play a critical role in offering advice and suggestions and teaching new skills (Robinson, 2009:175). Without this support, the players simply would not be able to achieve the levels of skill and talent they might otherwise be capable of achieving. This implies that they may be missing opportunities to pursue a career they would find meaningful and realise success in areas of their lives that they would like.

Suggestions in this area would be to facilitate a ‘big brother’ system in the Nelson Mandela Bay Basketball community. In addition, there could be workshops for mentors and role models to work in line with such a system.

5.3 Limitations of the Study

Every study, no matter how well-structured or well-constructed, has some limitations which may directly or indirectly affect the outcome of the study. The limitations of this

37 study included the researcher’s own personal experiences as well as a lack of participation by female basketball athletes in the sport.

The researcher experienced difficulty in remaining neutral and objective throughout the duration of the study. A number of players’ experiences resonated closely with the researcher’s experiences in the sport. Maintaining an awareness of the potential bias ensured that this issue was frequently addressed in order to report an outcome that was not skewed.

Given that there were fewer female players in comparison to male players, the sample size of the study was limited to mostly males. A larger study could be considered in the future to address such limitations, thereby expanding the scope much larger to incorporate more female players.

5.4 Conclusion

The research conducted explored the various social factors that involve the youth of the Nelson Mandela Bay basketball community. Three main themes were identified: social, academic, and health and wellbeing. Additionally, the findings suggested two emerging themes - financial opportunities and the role of mentors in the community. It is suggested that further research should be conducted in this field of study and on a wider scale, in an effort to expand the knowledge base on youth development and sport across South Africa.

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APPENDIX A: ETHICS FORM

APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW/QUESTIONNAIRE SCHEDULE/GUIDE

QUESTIONNAIRE

PLAYERS

Code No. (Leave Blank)

INTERVIEWER: ……………………………………………. Interview No.

DATE: ……………………………………… Time:

INTRODUCTION

Good morning/afternoon/evening. I am interviewing the basketball players in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The research aims to look at the role of basketball in community development in Nelson Mandela Bay. Kindly spare a few minutes to briefly answer some questions? Your answers will be treated confidentially.

SECTION A: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Name:

Gender: Male Female

Age Group: 18-24 25 – 29 30 -34 35 – 39 40 – 44 45 – 50 Nationality:

SECTION B: Programme Assessment

1.) Has playing basketball had any social impact in your life?

1 = Strongly agree; 2 = Somewhat agree; 3 = Don’t care; 4 = Somewhat disagree; 5 = Strongly disagree

How would you describe this impact?

2.) Has sport had any impact physical in your life?

1 = Strongly agree; 2 = Somewhat agree; 3 = Don’t care; 4 = Somewhat disagree; 5 = Strongly disagree

3.) Is Basketball the only sport that you play? If not what other sports do you play.

4.) How long have you played basketball?

5.) How old were you when you started playing basketball?

6.) Were you playing basketball in your school days?

7.) Did it have any impact on your academic performance?

8.) Was it Good impact or bad impact?

9.) Have you applied any knowledge from playing basketball off the court?

10.) Why do you play basketball? a. To Lose Weight b. Socialize c. Relieve Stress

11.) Do you play sport in your home country (if applicable)?

12.) Have you ever interacted with foreigners before?

13.) What was the nature of your interaction?

14.) Have you formed any relationships with foreigners on the basketball court?

15.) If so were they positive or negative relationships?

16.) What country were foreigner players from?

17.) Has your perception of foreigners changed since you started playing basketball?

18.) Do you affiliate basketball with a particular culture?

19.) Can you tell me about anything you have gained personally since you started playing basketball in NMB?

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HELP US.

QUESTIONNAIRE

MANAGERS/DIRECTORS/COACHES

Code No. (Leave Blank)

INTERVIEWER: ……………………………………………. Interview No.

DATE: ……………………………………… Time:

LOCATION: ……………………………………………………………………………..

INTRODUCTION

Good morning/afternoon/evening. I am interviewing the participants of the. Kindly spare a few minutes to briefly answer some questions? Your answers will be treated confidentially.

SECTION A: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

NAME:

TITLE:

POSITION:

SECTION A: Programme Details

1.) Has there been any noticeable change in the academic performances of the players

2.) Has there been a notable change in absenteeism in management of your basketball programme?

3.) Has there been a change in players behaviour in the since they joined your organisation?

4.) In your opinion has there been an increase/decrease in social cohesion among players?

5.) Have you received any feedback from parents with regards to their children involved in your league?

6.) What is the response from community members with regards to your basketball programme?

7.) Would you like to expand the league?

8.) Is there support for the league from the community?

9.) Are there any other comments or questions you would like to add regarding basketball in Nelson Mandela Bay?

10.) Would you like to add anything from a personal standpoint?

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HELP US.

APPENDIX C: LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

To whom it may concern:

I hereby confirm that I have read Mr Thuo’s research report and made a number of suggestions for improvement with regard to use of English.

Yours sincerely,

Carol Christie

BA Hons Sociology (Stel) Hons Applied Language Studies (NMMU)

[email protected]

Tel: 072-2646-495