Sport for Development : What Game Are We Playing?

Sport is increasingly regarded as a powerful tool in international development. In this comprehensive introduction to the area of ‘sport-for-development’, leading researcher Fred Coalter critically evaluates the strengths and weaknesses and successes and failures of sport-for-development policies and programs.

Beginning with an outline of the historical development of policies of sport-for-development, this book explores the objectives that remain central to international sport-for-development initiatives, including issues of defining and measuring impacts, the development of self-efficacy and leadership skills, female empowerment, HIV/AIDS awareness and social capital. Drawing on a wealth of fieldwork experience and empirical data from the most extensive monitoring and evaluation project ever undertaken with sport-for-development organisations, this is an unparalleled and fully integrated assessment of theory, policy and practice in international sport-for-development.

Sport-for-development: What game are we playing is essential reading for any student or practitioner with an interest in sport-for-development, sports policy or international development.

Fred Coalter is Professor of Sports Policy at Leeds Metropolitan University. Prior to this he was Professor of Sports Policy at the University of Stirling UK (2003-2010), Director of the Centre for Leisure Research at the University of Edinburgh (1990-2003) and Director of the Centre for Leisure and Tourism Studies at the then Polytechnic of North London (1986-1990).