Playing for the Future: The Role of Sport and Recreation in Supporting Refugee Young People to ‘Settle Well’ in Australia

Though the initiative and resulting report are from Australia, it includes ideas that may be applicable to those working with refugee children in the U.S “Playing for the Future explores the role of sport and recreation in supporting refugee and migrant young people to settle in Australia…This paper seeks to explore the concept of sport and recreation as a tool for ‘good sttlement’ . In particular, it argues that targeted sport and recreation programs can provide a site for trust building, facilitate settlement and transitional support, act as a diversion strategy, and provide an opportunity for young people to develop skills that are transferable to other parts of their lives. For young people recovering from the trauma of the refugee experience, sport and recreation can have therapeutic benefits, promote health and wellbeing, and be an entry point to broader participation. Finally, sport and recreation can provide an opportunity to build understanding between and within communities, and facilitate inclusion for newly arrived young people who are socially isolated and coping with the difficulties and dislocation of the settlement experience itself.” Publisher’s description