| The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between improvement in self-concept of economically disadvantaged youth and participation in the National Youth Sports Program conducted during the summer of 1979 at California State University, Sacramento.;Results. The t-score for each attribute of self-concept (SV, DSV, and PRO) was found to be not statistically significant for the group as a whole nor for the Black nor the White economically disadvantaged groups. However, there was significant difference for the Hispanic economically disadvantaged group where self-concept in the attributes of SV and PRO became significantly more positive.;In the analysis of the data, it became apparent that females constituted a significant sub-group within the population of the study. When the subjects in the identified ethnic groups were divided by male and female, five of six sub-groups showing significant positive change in self-concept were female. Both Hispanic and Black females viewed themselves more positively (SV) and felt others did also (PRO). In addition, the Desired Self-View of the Hispanic females improved significantly. The only non-female group to show significant change was the Hispanic males whose score for Perceived Response of Others became more positive.;These results suggest that the National Youth Sports Program is having positive effects on the self-concept of at least some participants. Females, in particular, appear to benefit from participation. Sports training is relatively new to females and it may be that now is an optimum time to use athletics to stimulate improvement in self-concept. The results also seem to suggest that Hispanic males find some benefit in supportive contact with organized sports. The results may support critics of programs for Blacks that focus solely on sports who suggest that by the age of 10, sports alone have taken the disadvantaged Black male (and probably the disadvantaged male of other ethnic groups as well) about as far as they can. According to these critics, the NCAA and sponsors of similar sports programs for the disadvantaged should consider supporting these programs with intensive programs of academic skill development.;Method. Glenn's Self-Concept Inventory, adapted to suit the age and activities of participants in this study, was administered to 86 youths between the ages of 10 and 18 and identified as economically disadvantaged prior to and following participation in a five week National Youth Sports Program at California State University, Sacramento. Data was analyzed to assess change in sports self-concept for the group as a whole and for each of three identifiable ethnic groups--White, Black, and Hispanic. A self-concept score for the pre- and post-test was assigned each of the 86 respondents based upon their response to 13 self-descriptive adjective phrases. Each phrase elicited a self-description of three attributes of self-concept: Self-View (SV), Desired Self-View (DSV), and Perceived Response of Others (PRO). The two sets of data, pre- and post-, were subjected to analysis using a t-test, and a t-value was established for the difference between the scores for the total group and for identified sub-groups. |
