An Investigation of Best Practices in Youth Development Programmes at Selected Football Academies in the Western Cape. By Ashley Ian Jacobs 2444431 A full thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the Degree MAGISTER ARTIUM SPORT, RECREATION AND EXERCISE SCIENCE in the Department of Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE Supervisor: Dr. Simone Titus October 2020 http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Abstract Football around the globe has been used as a vehicle for youth development initiatives. Youth development programmes foster social change in communities and provide an ideal development context that often results in active sport participation. In South Africa, there are a number of youth development programmes that not only use football, but also other sporting codes to implement and create sustainable youth development programmes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore best practices in youth development programmes of selected football academies in the Western Cape. This study took place in the greater Cape Town area of the Western Cape and focused on selected football academies who administer youth development programmes. A qualitative approach was used to collect and analyse data for the study. Three key informant interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted with a total sample size of twenty-one participants from the three different academies. Focus group participants were purposively selected from the under fourteen, under sixteen and under eighteen teams from each football academy. The data from the study was collected and analysed through the lens of the Positive Youth Development perspective. A thematic analysis was conducted in order to identify the best practices for youth development programmes in the Western Cape. Some of the key findings show that; Coordinators of Youth Development Programmes (YDP) developed appropriate management skills which assisted youth participants with eating correctly, coping with football training, time management and offering career guidance. Many youth participants came from challenging backgrounds, but through the implementation of appropriate structures by football academies, this assisted in building participant confidence and positive youth development. Furthermore, findings from this study revealed that parents, guardians, caregivers and participants had a good relationship with role-players which was an influential factor in guiding youth through their developmental process. Additionally, reward systems implemented at football academies assisted in the approach youth participants took towards their own development. Lastly, the findings show that football academies involved in social responsibility projects had a bigger pool of youth to select from as compared to other academies that were not involved in social responsibility projects. With regards to ethical considerations, permission to conduct this research was obtained from the University of the Western Cape Human and Social Science Research Ethics Committee. Permission was obtained from the South African Football Association and the selected academies involved in the research. Suitable participants were identified and invited to participate in the study. Participants were briefed regarding the aims and objectives of the study, as well as the importance of their participation and the value of their input. It was explained to the participants that their participation in the study was on a voluntary basis and that they could withdraw at any point without being penalised. Written consent was obtained from all the participants. Assent was also obtained from participants under the age of eighteen. All the participants were made aware that the study would make use of pseudonyms to protect their identity. Keywords: Football, Positive youth development, Best practices, Sport-for-development, Western Cape, Academy. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Declaration I hereby declare that “An investigation of best practices in youth development programmes at selected football academies in the Western Cape” is my own work, that it has not been submitted before for any other degree at any other university, and that the sources I have used have been indicated and acknowledged as complete references. _____________________ Ashley Ian Jacobs October 2020 http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty; the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent for granting me the opportunity to complete this research study. I am truly humbled and grateful for this experience. A special thanks to the following people who I am all equally grateful to, in no particular order; Donovan Ronnie, Michael Ronnie, Jean-Marc Ithier, Andre Alexander, Greg Lowe, Siseko Madikane, Casey Prince and Dave Waters. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all the football academies and participants involved in this research study. Your involvement, assistance and constant support was greatly appreciated. You enabled me to make this research study a reality and for that I am forever indebted. Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge and express great appreciation to my supervisor Dr. Simone Titus for her unwavering support throughout this endeavour. Lastly, a special thanks to my family for their love and support throughout this journey. This research study is dedicated to all of you; my mother Sheila Jacobs, my dad Antonio Juan Jacobs, my brother Jason Jacobs, my mother in law Miriam Hendricks, my father in law Faiek Hendricks, my wife Hibah Tharwah Jacobs, my son Uzair Jacobs and my daughter Nurah Jacobs. Each one of you has contributed immensely to this research study in ways unimaginable and without you I would not have been able to achieve this goal. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background of the study ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Problem statement .............................................................................................................................................. 10 1.4 Significance of the study ..................................................................................................................................... 10 1.6 Aims and objectives ............................................................................................................................................. 11 1.7 Summary of Methodology.................................................................................................................................. 12 1.8 Interpretation of key terms................................................................................................................................ 13 1.9 Overview of chapters........................................................................................................................................... 14 1.10 Chapter conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................................................................. 16 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 16 2.2 Theoretical framework ........................................................................................................................................ 16 2.3 Perspective of Youth Development Programmes at football clubs .......................................................... 21 2.4 Review of the Literature .......................................................................................................................................... 23 2.4.1 International perspectives on Sport and a tool for development ......................................................... 23 2.5 Youth development and its role within society ................................................................................................. 28 2.6 Youth development through sport – An International perspective .............................................................. 30 2. 7 Approaches to Youth Development Programmes through football ............................................................ 30 2.7.1 Youth development through football- An International perspective ................................................... 30 2.8 Youth development through football................................................................................................................... 32 2.8.1 A local perspective ............................................................................................................................................ 32 2.8.3 A local perspective ............................................................................................................................................ 35 2.9 Chapter conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................