'It's more than a sport's facility, it's a safety net for youth': Exploring the Utility of Trauma-and Violence-Informed Sport for Development (TVISFD) Programs with Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment's LaunchPad

Gender-based violence (GBV) has disproportionately impacted the lives of women, girls, and gender diverse people in Canada. In a partial response to escalating GBV rates, a growing movement towards trauma- and violence-informed (TVI) healthcare has emerged in Canada. TVI physical activity has been proposed as an effective approach to support individuals with trauma as an adjunctive treatment to usual care. The focus of this thesis was to explore how use of a TVI approach to Sport For Development programs at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment’s LaunchPad may support vulnerable youth. Semi-structured interviews and demographic surveys were conducted with fifteen (n=15) full-time staff, hourly youth workers, and program participants. Findings suggested that community member representation amongst staff enhanced participants’ and youth workers’ perceptions of safety. Program features that aligned with TVI physical activity included: 1) creating emotionally and physically safe environments; and 2) providing a capacity-building and strengths-based approach.