Editorial: Sport can be youth work if it's done well

Sport is credited with instilling self-discipline, fitness, teamwork and a pure sense of enjoyment of an activity.

Sports provision for all young people is now set to be defined more formally under the recommendations stemming from the Youth Matters green paper, which will provide statutory guidance for local authorities on new standards for activities that young people "would benefit from accessing in their free time", including two hours of sporting activity a week.

This support for sporting opportunities will include a "network of local youth sports development managers", who will work with partners and existing models of good practice such as Positive Futures to "engage young people in sport", including those not in school, work or training (see p14).