The Association Between Sports Camp Participation and Perceived Competence and Independence Among Visually Impaired Youth

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Publication Title

Journal of Youth Development

Volume

19

Issue

4

Pages

49-57

Abstract

Research on sport camps for visually impaired youth is limited. The purposes of this study were to examine if visually impaired campers’ self-perception of their perceived competence and independence changed as a result of attending a one-week sports camp. Forty visually impaired campers ranging from 10-15 years of age, who attended a one-week sports camp, completed a survey study from two outcome measures of the American Camp Association Youth Outcomes Battery. A bivariate correlation analysis and descriptive analyses were conducted. The campers reported relatively high levels of perceived competence (5.48 ± .57) and moderate levels of perceived independence (4.94 ± .72). The campers’ perceived competence (r = .39) was positively moderately correlated with the number of times they attended camp. This study provides preliminary evidence and support that sports camps for visually impaired youth may positively impact perceived competence and independence, which may improve the ability for visually impaired youth to transition more smoothly from youth to adulthood.

Original Publication Citation

Keene, Mary A.; Haegele, Justin; and Zhu, Xihe (2024) "The Association between Sports Camp Participation and Perceived Competence and Independence Among Visually Impaired Youth," Journal of Youth Development: Vol. 19: Iss. 4, Article 4.
Available at: https://open.clemson.edu/jyd/vol19/iss4/4

ORCID

0000-0002-8580-4782 (Haegele), 0000-0002-5048-3464 (Zhu)

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