Exploring the impact of a summer sport-based youth development program

► Improvements in overall athletic and sport-specific competence were found. ► Social competence improved, but not significantly, over the course of the program. ► Areas of strength were youth engagement and positive parent/staff relationships. ► Improvement areas were behavioral management and social skills reinforcement in sport. The purpose of this study was to examine the benefits of youth participation in a sport-based youth development summer program, the National Youth Sport Program (NYSP). This study also identified areas of programmatic strength within the program, as well as areas for improvement. 193 participants in NYSP completed a pre- and post-test that assessed belonging, social competence, athletic competence, and competence related to eight specific sports. Significant improvements in perceptions of overall athletic competence and competence related to five specific sports were found. Although perceptions of social competence and belonging increased from pre-to-post test, findings were not statistically significant. Site observations resulted in the identification of strengths and areas that also inform areas for programmatic improvement. Implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of sport-based youth development programs are discussed.