Youth development in municipal recreation policy: a case study of Ontario, Canada

Policy implementation in municipal organisations is shaped by various policy frameworks and institutional structures that ultimately impact programming and service provision. The importance of youth development within recreation in municipal organisations in Canada is evident, but little research has focused on manager-level perspectives of youth development in the sector and the institutional factors that shape policy implementation therein. This research fills that gap by examining how youth development and associated policies are understood by managers in municipal recreation organisations (MROs). We used an instrumental case study methodology to examine the Province of Ontario, Canada and explore how youth development is understood in MROs, and how these understandings impact the implementation of policy related to sport and recreation. We draw from institutional theory to provide insight into how municipal organisations implement policy related to youth development. Our findings demonstrate the influence of the education sector on municipal recreation programming, how youth development is understood to occur through municipal work experiences, and the processes of involving youth in politics of municipal organisations, operations, and decision-making. We offer scholars and recreation practitioners a better understanding of the role of youth development in MROs and how policy related to youth development, sport, and recreation is implemented.