Identities and Relationships: Black and Latina Adolescent girls in Sport-Based Youth Development Programs

Sport-based youth development (SBYD) programs serve as important sites to increase Black and Latina adolescent girls’ opportunities for sport and physical activity participation and potential engagement in group social work interventions. However, more research is needed that explores what drives girls’ participation and experiences in such programs. Given the importance of peer support in shaping adolescent girls’ participation in sport and physical activity, research should focus on the role of peers in Black and Latina adolescent girls’ experiences in SBYD. We propose a model for scholarship, weaving together SBYD with intersectionality, the framework of peer experiences, and the model of the peer influence process. Combining multiple frameworks accounts for sociocultural and developmental contexts and how they may shape experiences and engagement in SBYD programming. We encourage social work researchers to consider the combination of frameworks we propose in order to guide their inquiry. Ultimately, we believe scholars should engage directly with Black and Latina adolescent girls, using participatory research methods, to better understand their experiences in order to improve their opportunities. Social work researchers should seek not only to disrupt disparities in behavioral outcomes for Black and Latina adolescent girls, but also to provide solutions that address the root issues for the disparities.