Environmental Prompts and Positive Reinforcement: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of a Sportsmanship Intervention in Youth Basketball

Journal of Park and Recreation Administration · 2026-04-28

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a positive behavior intervention program introduced in a youth recreational basketball league. Amid increasing concerns over poor sportsmanship and antisocial behaviors in youth sports—ranging from verbal abuse to aggressive play—the program aimed to foster prosocial behaviors like respect and kindness among players, coaches, and fans. The intervention included behavioral messaging, signage, and a system of positive reinforcement through player recognition, with the goal of promoting prosocial behaviors and reducing negative conduct. Using a quasi-experimental design, the program was examined by examining perceptions of behavior from 2,200 participants, including parents, coaches, and recreation staff. The findings revealed only marginal impact. While multivariate analysis showed statistically significant differences between groups, the effect size was minimal. Interestingly, participants exposed to the intervention reported slightly lower negative coach behavior, but also slightly lower positive player behavior—suggesting limited or mixed influence of the intervention on actual conduct. Participants who were aware of the program exhibited lower ratings across both positive and negative behavior categories, possibly indicating a perception bias or increased behavioral scrutiny rather than genuine behavioral change. Analyses examining exposure to program elements revealed similarly limited effects. Frequent visibility of intervention signage was associated with increased reports of negative behavior, which may reflect heightened behavioral awareness rather than actual behavioral deterioration. These findings point to the complex nature of behavior change in youth sport environments and suggest that superficial exposure to messaging is unlikely to be sufficient. For park and recreation administrators, the results highlight the importance of program fidelity, consistent stakeholder engagement, and structured implementation. Programs designed to influence participant behavior must consider not only the content and frequency of messaging but also the delivery mechanisms, training of adult influencers, and reinforcement structures. Future efforts should emphasize strategic integration of behavior programs into the broader organizational culture and ensure that staff and volunteers are adequately equipped to model and reinforce desired behaviors. Ongoing evaluation will be essential to support evidence-based program refinement and improve outcomes in youth sports settings.

Utilizing the narrative identity framework to understand the differences between high and low point experiences in outdoor adventure education

Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning · 2025-10-08 · 1 citations

A socio-ecological analysis of the causes of behavior in sport: perspectives of parents, coaches, and staff

Managing Sport and Leisure · 2025-07-29 · 2 citations

An Empirically Derived Framework for Building Strong Outdoor Education Partnerships

Educational Policy · 2025-06-10 · 1 citations

Schools are increasingly partnering with outdoor education providers to address growing educational demands for hands-on STEM learning and social and emotional skill development. Using the Eisenhardt case study method, we developed an empirically based framework designed to guide school staff, outdoor education providers, and policymakers in building strong outdoor education partnerships. The framework addresses key factors, including the need for distinctive educational experiences, mutual goal satisfaction, a partnership steward, operational and logistical fit, and the trust of parents and caregivers. Implications for educational leadership and policy development are discussed, including how policy can strengthen these types of collaborations.

Meaningful Experiences for Adolescents: Investigating the Impact of Immersion Semester High Schools

Journal of Experiential Education · 2024-09-28 · 1 citations

Background: Meaningful experiences are integral to well-being, yet our understanding of how educational experiences can be designed to promote meaningfulness is limited. Purpose: Our study examined whether immersion semester high schools facilitated more meaningful experiences and investigated relationships between experience factors within immersion semester high schools and meaningfulness. Method: For 3 weeks at an immersion semester high school and home, youth reported on the most meaningful activities they engaged in during morning and afternoon/evening periods, their perceived meaningfulness of that activity, the level of emotion involved, the emotional valence, and their psychological engagement and behavioral participation. We collected 18,804 observations from 638 participants and analyzed the data with a series of mixed effects models. Findings: Activities were significantly more meaningful at immersion semester high schools compared to home. Additionally, activities were more meaningful when individuals had higher behavioral participation and psychological engagement, when the experience involved more emotion, and when the emotion involved was more positive. However, interaction models indicate that the effects of psychological engagement and behavioral participation varied depending on emotional valence. Implications: To expand the reach of meaningful educational experiences, we should explore whether structural elements of immersion semester high schools can be applied to other contexts.

“I Am Not Diversity Training”: Exploring the Experiences of Diverse Parks and Recreation Professionals Through Socio-Ecological Systems Theory

Leisure Sciences · 2024-04-12 · 2 citations

As a public leisure service, parks and recreation is philosophically oriented and legally obligated to be accessible. However, a misalignment between who works for agencies and the communities they serve can perpetuate existing power dynamics where decision-makers reflect the mainstream population. In some cases, this dynamic may slow the rate at which agencies become more inclusive and equitable. This study used a socio-ecological framework to qualitatively investigate the experiences of diverse parks and recreation professionals (N = 20) with the aim of identifying supports and challenges they have experienced. The findings were largely consistent with workforce diversity literature but also offered unique considerations. For instance, as a public service, diverse employees manage biases from coworkers but also from the community members they serve. Additionally, the recreation workforce is often recruited from former participants, emphasizing the importance of promoting leadership that can advance policies and practices focused on equity and inclusion.

Investigating How Immersion Semester High Schools Promote Meaningful Experiences

Journal of Experiential Education · 2024-01-09

Background: Practitioners want to create meaningful experiences for youth because they provide positive benefits. Immersion semester high schools are likely to provide meaningful experiences. Purpose: This study sought to identify what types of activities are most meaningful to youth, whether activities are more meaningful in immersion semester high schools, and to determine which aspects of immersion semester high schools predict meaningfulness and whether this varies by emotional valence. Methods: Youth ( N = 261) provided 11,498 surveys (6,062 at program/5,435 at home) when they participated in an immersion semester high schools and when they were at home. They reported on the meaningfulness of experiences twice daily for 3 weeks in each context. Findings: The results showed that hanging out with peers was the most meaningful activity, that experiences in immersion semester high schools were more meaningful than at home, and that whereas higher levels of emotion predicted higher levels of meaningfulness regardless of how positive or negative the experience was, behavioral engagement was more predictive for positive experiences, whereas psychological engagement was more predictive for negative experiences. Implications: Immersion semester high schools can create more meaningful experiences than at home, especially those that are emotionally engaging.

Situating semester schools in the landscape of high school learning

Learning Environments Research · 2023-01-28 · 3 citations

Experiential Education Programs: Fertile Environments for Identity Formation

Journal of Experiential Education · 2023-01-03 · 8 citations

Background: Understanding how contextual elements within educational environments relate to identity formation can help educators design experiences intended to support identity formation processes. Purpose: This study examined identity formation among students enrolled in immersion semester high schools and how contextual elements and identity formation actions influence identity formation process profiles. Methodology: Data were collected from middle to late adolescents using the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale, and analyzed using latent profile analysis, crosstabulation, and regression. Conclusions: The findings showed that thinking about values and beliefs in school is related to increased identity exploration and that the teacher–student relationship and novelty in these contexts facilitates thinking about values and beliefs. Students prone to rumination may particularly benefit from the supportive environment, which can increase the likelihood that they discuss their values and beliefs. Implications: Experiential educators working with middle to late adolescents who want to help their participants engage in identity formation should prioritize teacher–student relationships, novel experiences, and a supportive community.

Youth Outdoor Recreation Experience, Race, and Socioeconomic Status: Explaining Connection to Nature and Future Career Interest

Journal of Outdoor Recreation Education and Leadership · 2022-10-21 · 8 citations

The outdoor recreation industry faces the challenge of recruiting the next generation of professionals. This study examined factors that may influence young adults’ interest in outdoor recreation careers, including participation in organized and unorganized outdoor recreation as a youth, connection to nature (CTN), racial identity, and socioeconomic status (SES). An online questionnaire was distributed using a Qualtrics panel, and criterion sampling was used to ensure the sample included participants with approximately equal representation across racial identity and SES categories. Participation in unorganized recreation, CTN, and SES were found to be significant predictors of interest in outdoor recreation careers. Additionally, participation in organized recreation was found to be a significant negative predictor of CTN, while participation in unorganized recreation and racial identity were significant positive predictors of CTN, and CTN had a small mediating effect on the relationship between unorganized recreation participation and interest in outdoor recreation careers.