The H4H development programme, complemented by the Skills 4 Life initiative, uses a number of communication strategies to empower its participants with respect to being team players in the game of basketball, and as individuals conscious of their roles as family members, students and citizens. Interpersonal interaction is key among these strategies. In order to promote recreation as a pastime for underprivileged youth, a relationship between an H4H coach and his or her player(s) is developed. Organisers state that the coach in many cases becomes an effective activist and advocate for positive change in the lives of youth who grow up in challenging environments plagued with poverty, crime and HIV/AIDS.

These types of topical issues are discussed within the Skills 4 Life Circle for 20 minutes out of every 90-minute practice session. “Sometimes something that happens on the court, like disrespect of a player will trigger the time to bring this incident into discussion. The goal is to create an expansive, safe and comfortable environment, but it is critical that we manage the learning process.” Having stressed ground rules such as maintaining respect for the speaker, connecting actions to consequences and distinguishing fact from opinion, team coaches facilitate discussions on issues such as HIV/AIDS: myths, realities and fears; do I respect my parents and teacher?; friendship: what are the qualities of a good friend?; and the importance of good grades at school.

Given the interactive and proactive nature of organised sports training for youth, the organisers of H4H believe that such learning is well-suited to get young people thinking, talking with one another, and declaring and examining their attitudes. “Much of the peer educator success is based in the engagement of the youth group, where the coach shouldn’t be doing most of the talking, so that a stimulating but informed, serious conversation can be achieved by the young people themselves.”

In addition to the entertainment value inherent (for some) in the game of basketball, organisers have developed specific games to trigger discussions during the Skills 4 Life Circle, including “Running and Sitting Meditation”, “Fouls 4 Life Game: you only get 1 foul in life, not 5 like in hoops”, and “Ruler 4 Life: how to prepare & measure your life and plan for it.”

H4H pushes the limits of these interactive group session during its Conflict Mediation tournaments, which bring together many diverse teams from different economic, gender and race groups. H4H works with the University of Cape Town’s Center for Conflict Resolution in these tournaments to facilitate discussions between diverse individuals from across the nation.

Youth, Health, Sport/Fitness, HIV Prevention.

“Since 1995, H4H, a global not-for-profit organisation, has supported youth development throughout southern Africa by providing more than 10,000 school-age children with our Basketball/Life Skills program. Using sport as a vehicle for social and personal change, H4H empowers children to become productive adults, engage in healthy lifestyles, and become leaders within their communities.”

According to the organisers, sports are an important platform for behavioural change for various reasons:

• Team sports provide an infrastructure where social skills can develop: “Young people in our programmes learn that the skills they will develop playing sports extend well beyond the playing field and are applicable to life’s challenges.” Such skills include confidence, building trust between teammates, co-operation, concentration (i.e. listening), and communication (interacting with one's coach and teammates).
• Organised sports encourage healthy competition as a way of releasing anxiety and energy that youth often collect through the everyday stress in an unstable family or educational environment.
• Sports unite adults and children from different backgrounds and help to erase racial and economic boundaries by bringing young people together on a neutral playing field, where dedication and teamwork are the qualities that make one excel rather than social standing or group affiliation.
• The trust that develops between coaches and the young people they mentor provides an opportunity for discussion of the crucial issues that affect their lives every day, such as crime, poverty and HIV/AIDS.