Scholarship | Restorative Youth Sports

The Restorative Youth Sports lab advances its mission through a variety of scholarly initiatives. We believe that scholarship relates to the advancement of knowledge and is the highest promise of universities to our society. Scholarship is provided through creative endeavors and inspired by the ideas of students, community members, and faculty, all in collaboration with existing bases of knowledge.

We agree with Ernest Lynton who stated that, “scholarship can exist wherever and whenever knowledge is systematically pursued, enhanced, and communicated, be it through research, teaching, or professional service” (Lynton, 1994, Knowledge & Scholarship). Lynton suggested four common characteristics of scholarly processes, which we aspire to in this lab:

Scholarship is a reasoned process. We strive to pursue knowledge in a manner that is informed by best practices and with input from stakeholders.
Scholarship is a reflective process. We constantly reflect on our scholarship to understand our strengths and adapt based on lessons learned.
Scholarship is a learning process. We believe that we are learners in our scholarly endeavors, even when we hold some content knowledge.
Scholarship includes elements of dissemination. We are committed to sharing our scholarship in appropriate ways for verification and to advance understanding.

Our lab is engaged in a variety of scholarship initiatives including:

Research to understand the use of restorative justice practices in youth physical activity settings. Our research programs typically are informed by reviews of current literature and empirical data collection.

Community Engagement partnerships to advance the use of restorative justice practices in physical activity settings. Our community engagement programs include action-oriented approaches to scholarship that aim to change the circumstances for young people in schools and communities.

Professional Development initiatives to empower youth and adult leaders to integrate restorative justice practices in youth physical activity settings. Our professional development programs rely on evidence-based practices and collaboration with service providers.

Graduate Studies for degree seeking students is available for more in-depth study of restorative justice practices. Our academic programs provide opportunities to engage with a rigorous curriculum and hands-on community engagement experiences.

Network development is available for professionals who have knowledge and experience about youth physical activity and restorative justice practices. Our network aims to build a community of practice to share ideas and co-create new initiatives related to restorative youth sports.