Alternative Sports Communities as an Opportunity for Collaborative Growth and Learning

Authors

• Anni Rannikko Itä-Suomen yliopisto
• Päivi Harinen
• Hanna Kuninkaanniemi Itä-Suomen yliopisto
• Veli Liikanen
• Jussi Ronkainen

Abstract

This article focuses on alternative youth sports as environments of late modern education, learning and teaching. The analysis presented is based on an online survey (n=754), theme interviews and a contextualising ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Finland. Alternative sports are analysed through a historical frame of physical and youth education. Young people practising alternative sports adopt sporty lifestyles and ideas of personal responsibility, as well as learn communication skills and cooperation. The analysis shows that even though education disengages from traditional contexts and authoritative relations, the aims set to sports education are fulfilled for the most part in alternative sports. Learning and teaching sports skills is based on a strong sense of collaborative learning, which is at the same time spontaneous and goal oriented. This article is a part of an ongoing research project Diverse Spaces and Practises of Youth Sports (2012–2015).