From play to sports practice in neighborhood sports and social clubs as spaces of social inclusion

Abstract

This article describes the conceptual framework of a study
about the importance of playing and the practice of sports for
children’s development; we present both the main hypothesis
and the preliminary results of an empirical research on the
factors that hinder for children to access or stay in sports and
recreational social spaces. The research is related to the
extension activities of an university chair, implemented in the
Clinical Child Psychology Service (SPCN), Avellaneda district,
Province of Buenos Aires. It is carried out an exploratory
study of 260 clinical records of schooled children between 6
and 12 years old who requested a consultation during
2011-2013. Data reporting if children perform sports and
recreational activities is gathered, and the mode and
evaluation of these activities by the adults in charge. The
preliminary results indicate that a low percentage of children
engage in these activities, in spite of the existence of several
recreational and sports social spaces in their district. The
study will allow us to obtain data that contributes to promote
social inclusion in these spaces, that is relevant because of its
preventive value in the bio-psycho-social health in childhood.