Thinking Global, Acting Local: Supporting Resilience Through Hyper-Local Sport Programming for Global Majority Youth

Global majority youth face disproportionate psychosocial stressors and heightened exposure to community violence. Resilience is a key protective factor, and hyper-local sport programs may support its development through culturally responsive mentorship, family and community co-ownership, and psychologically safe spaces. This study explored how such programs in London, UK, may support resilience and perceived community safety among global majority youth. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis and a multi-stakeholder approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 respondents across five London-based organizations. All but two identified as global majority. Three interrelated themes emerged: (1) mentorship and identity formation; (2) family and community engagement; and (3) psychosocial processes of self-determination, social identity, and perceived social support. Resilience and perceived community safety were supported through an interdependent relational system, rather than sport alone. The study offers the Architecture of Resilience, a provisional model with implications for program design, policy, and future research.