Sport, olympism and community: a situated pedagogical experience with migrant children at the northern border of Mexico
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v70.116094Keywords:
Community sport, Migration, Situated pedagogy, Olympism, Sport, SportvelopmentAbstract
Introduction: This qualitative study explores the experiences resulting from a community-based sports intervention grounded in the dissemination of Olympic values at a shelter for migrants in Nogales, Mexico.
Objective: Through semi-structured interviews with children, caregivers, and facilitators, the study analyzed how Olympism, emotional bonds, and pedagogical presence fostered experiences of well-being, emotional expression, and social connection in a context marked by forced mobility and social exclusion.
Methodology: Using a grounded theory approach, the study identified significant transformations: disruption of routines, the formation of new emotional connections, collaborative learning, and a strong symbolic appropriation of space.
Results: Educators were perceived as close and protective figures, going beyond their technical roles. The findings highlight that even short-term interventions can turn sport into a language of recognition, belonging, and agency when developed through a situated and affective pedagogical approach..
Discussion: The study contributes to the field of Sport for Development with a critical perspective from the Global South, challenging hegemonic models and proposing experiential and territorially grounded pedagogies.
Conclusions: Sport, when articulated through affectivity, pedagogical presence, and contextual sensitivity, can generate meaningful experiences of transformation among migrant populations facing exclusion and uncertainty.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Karla Noelia Cruz Morales, Pedro Danilo Ponciano Nuñez, Hussein Muñoz-Helú, Luis Felipe Reynoso Sánchez
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