About inclusion and exclusion and youth participation in sports. : Qualitative study of the sports associations' and non-profit people's way of working

The aim of this paper was to study what impact sports participation has on young people and how nonprofit people and representatives of sports associations work to counter exclusion and how they contribute to inclusion. We investigated if, and if so how, participation in sports and physical activities can generate inclusion and counteract exclusion for young people. In this study we have completed six qualitative interviews with non-profit persons and representatives of sports associations. We interviewed two people who work voluntarily in sports and four people who have a leadership role in sports associations in a specific municipality. This selection was made in order for us to get a broader picture of how the strategies of non-profit and associations might differ in practice regarding exclusion and inclusion for young people. Based on our respondents' answers from the interviews, we have identified four main themes; expectations and demands, the socialization arena, working methods and the negative and positive factors of sports. We analyzed these themes based on previous research and theory sections and to our purpose and issues. The main conclusion we made was that sport contributes to community, belonging, joy, exercise, reduced risk of physical and mental illnesses and facilitates the integration of newly immigrated youth. Our conclusion regarding negative factors with sports are that young people might develop some form of eating disorder, overload their bodies if they exercise too much and that the risks of getting physical injuries might increase if they participate in sports too much. In response to our last research question, it emerges that economy might be an exclusive factor that sport associations try to prevent in different ways. The associations and the working methods of the non-profit people differ in terms of generating inclusion and counteracting exclusion