Enhancing social mobility within marginalized youth: the accumulation of positive psychological capital through engagement with community sports clubs

Recent government policy in the United Kingdom has strongly encouraged youth populations to acquire increased stocks of human and social capital in order to enhance their social mobility prospects. While much of this policy speaks to mainstream educational institutions to facilitate capital accumulation, other community-based organisations, such as sports clubs, have been heralded as alternative sites where such capital could be acquired. However, recent academic literature has advocated that the acquisition of positive psychological capital—and its key components of self-efficacy, hope, optimism and resilience—is equally necessary to actualising social mobility. Nevertheless, few studies have explored how community-based organisations may facilitate this form of capital. Consequently, and by drawing upon interview data collected from young participants (all male) and sports club coaches who engaged with a sport-based project delivered in London (UK), this article will provide insight into two main concerns. First, the article will highlight how informal educational opportunities which are offered within community-based (sport) organisations may enable the acquisition and development of positive psychological capital, and second, offer tentative insights into the conditions that are required within a sports-based intervention to enhance the elements of positive psychological capital