What's the meaning of a Krajicek Playground for the personal development of children, sport leaders and scholarshippers, and the organizational developmnet of community based organizations, in particular with regards to social security and health?

• prof. dr. Frank van Eekeren

• Marlous Aalbers
• dr. Joske Nauta (VU mc)
• dr. Evert Verhagen (VU mc)

This interdisciplinary research project investigates how violence among young people in amateur football arises and can be prevented and non-violent interaction stimulated. It will focus on the tension between the need to safeguard sport as a site where young people can freely express and assert themselves and the need to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all participants. Specifically, the project asks what the effects of person-environment transactions, the role of gender performances, notions of competition and the workings of peer pressure, social norms and legal rules are on the behaviour of young footballers. Using a mixed methods approach, the project will develop an integrated multi-level analysis of violent behaviour among young people in amateur football clubs. The first of its kind, this innovative project will produce novel interdisciplinary insights into violence in amateur football and the key mechanisms that cause or impede it. The project will also produce important new knowledge and evidence that can inform the government objective of fostering a safer sporting climate and enhance the capacity of the community sport sector to promote the development of prosocial behaviours, skills and identities in children and adolescents. The research has an excellent potential for future external funding.

• prof. mr. dr. Rianka Rijnhout
• dr. Inge Claringbould

• prof.dr. Ramon Spaaij

The study focuses on:

1) The description of the personal development of maladjusted children during the Ruud van Nistelrooy Academy program, from the perspective of the children and their social environment.

2) The development of a monitoring methodology.

• prof. dr. Frank van Eekeren

• Marjolein van den Bergh MSc

• prof. dr. Maarten van Bottenburg
• prof. dr. Albert Meijer
• prof. dr. Frank van Eekeren

• dr. M.G. (Michel) van Slobbe

• dr. Maikel Waardenburg
• dr. Jan-Willem van der Roest
• prof. dr. Maarten van Bottenburg

• drs. Gerolf Pikker
• prof. dr. Mirko Noordegraaf

• drs. Gerolf Pikker
• prof. dr. mr. Mark Bovens
• prof. dr. Mirko Noordegraaf