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Trans·for·ma·tion noun

1: a. The act or instance of transforming b. The state of being transformed2: A marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better

Leave a field unattended and it will eventually dry out and become unproductive.

Tend to it, provide it with the resources it needs and it can flourish.

SPORTS AS A TOOLStudies have shown that well-designed sports initiatives can motivate and train young people, directly contributing to a positive development impact. Sports for Development programs channel the passion and determination of young people, and help them develop useful life skills.

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Trans·for·ma·tion noun

1: a. The act or instance of transforming b. The state of being transformed2: A marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better

Sports can serve as a vehicle to provide marginalized youth with the tools they need to flourish and enhance their prospects for a better life, transforming not only the individuals involved, but the people around them.

“WE BELIEVE THAT THE SKILLS LEARNED ON THE SOCCER FIELD CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO SKILLS FOR LIFE AND EMPLOYMENT.”

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02 —IDB President, Luis Alberto Moreno.

THE CURRENT SITUATION• 53.5 percent of 13- to 23-year-olds

are currently not enrolled in school1

• 16.1 percent of 15- to 24-year-olds are unemployed2

• Greater economic uncertainty for youth due to the financial crisis

IMPACT OF YOUTH IDLENESS• Lost productivity• Risky behavior• Social exclusion• Violence

THE INITIATIVE’S GOALSThe Sports for Development initiative, led by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), uses sports to help youth take advantage of social and economic advancement opportunities, thereby enabling them to become more productive members of society. The initiative has four areas of focus: youth development, health and wellness, social inclusion, and violence prevention.

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031 Source: Centro de Estudios Distributivos Laborales y Sociales, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.2 Source: Global Employment Trends for Youth, International Labour Office (August 2010).

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YOUTHDEVELOPMENTSPORTS MOTIVATE

Tailored sports programs help develop transferable skills that improve youth employability and enhance access to job opportunities. These programs train youth for the labor market and promote an entrepreneurial spirit.

HEALTH AND WELLNESSSPORTS PROVIDE TRAINING

SOCIAL INCLUSIONSPORTS INSPIRE

In addition to young people, sports can also empower women, individuals with disabilities, and others, boosting their self-esteem and self-confidence, and helping them integrate more fully into society and the economy.

Not only can effectively developed sports programs directly improve the fitness levels and emotional well-being of young people, they can also impart valuable information regarding nutrition, the ramifications of risky behavior, and more. 04

VIOLENCEPREVENTIONSPORTS ENGAGE

These programs engage youth and promote the use of sports to prevent violence. Sports can be used to teach relevant conflict-resolution skills and to constructively channel the types of behaviors that might otherwise lead to youth violence (e.g., anger).

LIFESKILLS

Sports have proven to be effective at motivating, training, and retaining youth in development programs. Practical skills learned on the field through tailored Sports for Development programs can also be applied to daily life and the workforce. They include:

• Communication• Conflict resolution• Discipline• Health• Respect• Teamwork

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FIFA, the international governing body of football, streetfootballworld, a social profit organization linking relevant actors in the development through football field, and others—including the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and the Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)—have partnered with the IDB to develop and implement a regional strategy using soccer as a development tool throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. With support from the IDB’s Korean Poverty Reduction Fund, a regional

program has been established to support soccer projects targeting young people aged 10–30 who have been affected by social exclusion.

As part of an ongoing process, the parties are working together to extract lessons learned from the innovative social programs developed for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, in order to apply them to the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The Colombia pilot program will be used as a model for replication throughout the region. 07

FIFA STREETFOOTBALL- WORLD• Regional soccer-based program• Targets youth aged 10–30• Applies development lessons from the 2010

FIFA World Cup

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A Ganar/Vencer is an innovative workforce development program that combines field and classroom activities to teach social and employability skills to young people.

With a focus on youth aged 16–24, the program is executed by Partners of the Americas and uses sports as an educational tool, accessible to young people regardless of athletic ability. This integrated, four-phased approach—including a community service-based learning project—equips participants with basic reading, writing, math, and technical skills, and imparts six core values necessary to succeed on and off the field: respect, teamwork, discipline, communication,

continued self-improvement, and a focus on results. Having acquired this foundation, the participants move on to the technical-training phase, then the hands-on experience phase. The program is topped off by a follow-up support phase connecting participants with alumni and prospective employers.

Based on its success in Brazil, Ecuador, and Uruguay, the program is expanding throughout the region.

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A GANAR/VENCER• Launched in 2007 in three countries• Teaches social and employability skills • Four-phased approach• Will operate in 11 countries throughout Latin

America and the Caribbean by 2011

MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF A GANAR/VENCER’S 3,000+ GRADUATES ARE STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, RETURNING TO SCHOOL,OR WORKING.

A Ganar/Vencer receives support from the Nike Foundation and Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential, among others.

CONTACTGeneral program info:Fabian KossIDB Youth Program Coordinatorfabiank@iadb.orgPartnership info:Matías BenderskyStrategic Alliances Officermbendersky@iadb.orgMIF info:Maritza VelaMIF Operations Specialistmaritza@iadb.org

PARTICIPATEThe Sports for Development initiative offers high-impact ways for organizations and institutions to participate, delivering results not only to the organization but to the individual participants and their communities. • NGOs can serve as executing agencies

to bring a program to life. • Private sector firms can offer internships

and apprenticeships, and help customize a program.

• Governments can launch programs in communities to positively impact people.

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